BLUE    JACKETS; 


OR, 


THE  ADYENTTJKES  OF  J.  THOMPSON,  A,  B. 

AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE." 

A  NAUTICAL  NOVEL. 

BY 

EDWARD 


(  SUNG-TIE.) 


IN  ONE  VOLUME. 


BOSTON : 
J.    E.    TILTOIST    &    CO 

1871. 
[AU  Rights  Reserved.] 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1870,  by 

EDWARD  GREET, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  "Washington. 


Sluniey  t  I.yuch,  frmt,  39  re«y  St.,  N.  T. 


PREFACE 


THE  most  cruel  and  ignominious  punishment  man  can  inflict  upon  his 
fellow  men,  is  still  enfqrced  in  the  English  Naval  Service ;  though  many 
indignantly  deny  it,  and  stigmatize  this  story  as  "  a  libel  on  the  British 
Navy."  Unfortunately  for  "Blue  Jackets"  this  is  not  so,  and  the  novel  is 
founded  on  facts,  as  I  have  been  in  the  service,  and,  on  many  occasions, 
seen  sailors  subjected  to  most  painful  degradation  at  the  caprice  of  those, 
who,  because  they  were  officers,  seemed  to  forget  that  the  men  possessed 
feelings  in  common  with  them.  As  facts  are  the  best  proofs,  I  quote  the 
"London  Daily  News,"  November  7,  1870,  which  records  that  on  October 
30,  1870,  a  scene,  similar  in  barbarity  to  the  one  described  in  the  fifth 
chapter,  occurred  in  Plymouth  Sound,  England,  on  board  the  "  Vanguard " 
(Captain  E.  H.  Gr.  Lambert),  "  within  hearing  of  a  large  number  of  women 
and  children,  who  were  waiting  permission  to  go  on  board  the  iron-clad." 
It  may  interest  readers  to  know,  that  the  adventures  of  J.  Thompson, 
A.  B.,  among  "  The  Heathen  Chinee,"  are  not  entirely  fictitious,  the 
descriptions  of  the  peculiar  habits  of  "The  Coming  Man"  being  from 
personal  observation  during  a  lengthened  sojourn  in  China. 

EDWAED  GEEEY. 
NEW  YORK,  January  1,  1871. 


2200603 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER.  PAGE. 

I.     WOOLWICH  DOCKYARD  AT  NOON. — A  DESERTER  FROM  H.  M.  S. 

STINGER 1 

II.     THE  BOATSWAIN'S  TEA-PARTY. — ENGAGEMENT  OF  J.  THOMPSON, 

ABLE  SEAMAN,  AND  MlSS  MARY  ANN  ROSS 10 

III.  THE  COURT-MARTIAL  ON  BOARD  H.  M.  S.  VICTORY 16 

IV.  THOMPSON    GETS    INTO  A  DIFFICULTY  WITH    THE    REGULAR 

ARMY. — AMATEUR  THEATRICALS,  AND  A  SURPRISED  PARTY  . .  23 

V.      THE  MERCIFUL  SENTENCE  is  CARRIED  OUT 32 

VI.     H.  M.  S.   STINGER  LEAVES  FOR  THE   CAPE. — SOME   OF    THE 

LETTERS  WRITTEN  UPON  THAT  IMPORTANT  OCCASION 37 

VII.  £N  SIMON'S  BAY,  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE. — EXTRAORDINARY 
DELUSION  ON  THE  PART  OF  CAPTAIN  PUFFEIGH  WITH  REGARD 
TO  A  LOVELY  GERMAN  ERAULEIN ;  44 

VIII.     THE  PERSECUTION  OF  CHARLES  DUNSTABLE,  ORDINARY  SEA- 
MAN    50 

IX.  AT  SINGAPORE. — THOMPSON  VISITS  MR.  OLDCRACKLE,  AND  is 
MOST  HOSPITABLY  ENTERTAINED. — THE  EFFECT  OF  A  LOVELY 
PAIR  OF  BLACK  EYES  UPON  A  TOO  SUSCEPTIBLE  SAILOR 55 

X.     FATAL  RESULT  OF  CRUSHE'S  TYRANNY. — DEATH  OF  A  GOOD 

OFFICER,  AND  EXECUTION  OF  HIS  ASSASSIN 64 

XI.     HONG-KONG-. —  THE    STINGERS   AMONG   THE   PIRATES. —  LAST 

MOMENTS  OF  OLD  JEMMY 72 

XII.     THE  STINGERS  MARCH  TO  THE  RESCUE  OF  A  YOUNG  LADY. — 

SMOKING  OUT  A  PIRATE'S  NEST 81 

XIII.  PUFFEIGH  FALLS  IN  WITH  A  YANKEE  CAPTAIN,  OF  WHOM  HE 

BUYS  SOME  EXPERIENCE. — CLARE'S  HALLUCINATION 89 

XIV.  CAPTURE  OF  THOMPSON  BY  "TiiE  HEATHEN  CHINEE." — CAP- 

TAIN PUFFEIGH  AND  LIEUTENANT  CRUSHE  ARE  PROMOTED, 

AND  LEAVE  THE  SHIP 95 


7111.  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER.  PAGE. 

XV.     THOMPSON  ESCAPES  FROM  SS-TSEIN,  AND  SHIPS  ON  BOARD  A 

CANAL  BOAT. — CAPTAIN  Mo  AND  HIS  WIFE  Jow. — BIGAMY..          107 

XVI.     AN  ASSAULT  AT  ARMS,  AND  THE  STORIES  OF  TWO  INOFFENSIVE 

SAILORS 117 

XVII.      A-TAE 126 

XVIII.     CAPTAIN  WOODWARD  AND  YAOU-CHUNG. — How  THE  TAONTAI 

"  PLAYED  IT  "  UPON  HIS  GUESTS 134 

XIX.     "  O-MI-TU-FUH  ! " — A  CHINESE  GIRL'S  LOVE  AND  DEVOTION. — 

THOMPSON'S  APPEARANCE  AS  A  STAR  COMEDIAN 143 

XX.     THE  BATTLE    OF    CHOW-CHAN  CREEK. — MARRIAGE    OF  Miss 

MOORE 152 

XXI.     THE  STINGER  VISITS  JAPAN. — MR.  SHEVER'S  LAST  PIPE 161 

XXII.     UP  THE  RIVER. — CLARE  GOES  THROUGH  FIRE  AND  WATER. — 

ON  TO  CANTON  — , 168 

XXIII.  THOMPSON    TURNS   BILL  -  STICKER.  —  THE   NOTICE    TO    QUIT 

SERVED  ON  GOVERNOR  YEH. — POETRY 177 

XXIV.  WHAT  THE  STINGERS  DID  TOWARDS  TAKING  CANTON 187 

XXV.  FAREWELL  TO  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."  —  HARD  TIMES 
AGAIN  FOR  THE  STINGERS. — THOMPSON  HE-VISITS  HIS  OLD 
FLAME  AT  THE  CAPE 194 

XXVI.  THOMPSON  FALLS  (PLATONICALLY)  IN  LOVE  WITH  A  CHARM- 
ING YOUNG  LADY  "WHO  CALLS  HERSELF  CCPS"  WHILE  HE 
is  COURTED  BY  HER  BONNE. — CEMENT  FOR  A  BROKEN 
HEART 204 

XXVII.  THE  WIDOW'S  WOOING  AND  WHAT  CAME  OF  IT. — THOMPSON 
is  EXPOSED  TO  A  RAKING  FIRE,  BUT  COMES  OFF  WITH 
FLYING  COLOURS 214 

XXVIII.     HOME..          224 


BLUE   JACKETS; 

OK,   THE   ADVENTURES   OF 

J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATpN  CHINEE.' 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  big  bell  of  Woolwich  Dockyard  had  just  commenced  its  deafening  announce- 
ment that  "dinner  time"  had 'arrived,  producing  at  its  first  boom,  a  change  from 
activity  to  rest  in  every  department  of  that  vast  establishment. 

Burly  convicts,  resembling  in  their  brown  striped  suits  human  zebras,  upon 
hearing  the  clang,  immediately  threw  down  their  burdens,  and,  followed  by  the  severe- 
looking  pensioners  who  acted  as  their  guards,  sauntered  carelessly  towards  the  river- 
side, where  they  knew  boats  waited  to  convey  them  on  board  the  hulks.  As  these 
scowling  outcasts  drifted  along,  they  here  and  there  passed  parties  of  perspiring  sailors 
still  toiling  under  the  direction  of  some  petty  officer ;  noticing  which,  the  convicted 
ones  would  grin  and  nudge  each  other,  glad  to  find  that  while  they  could  cease  their 
labour  at  the  first  stroke  of  the  bell,  there  were  free  men  who  dared  not  even  think 
of  relaxing  their  hands  until  ordered  to  do  so  by  their  superiors ;  and  many  of  the 
rogues  turned  their  forbidden  quids,  and  thanked  their  stars  that  they  were  convicted 
felons,  and  not  men-of-wars's  men. 

In  the  smithies,  at  the  first  welcome  stroke  of  the  bell,  hammers,  which  were  then 
poised  in  the  air,  were  dropped  with  a  gentle  thud  upon  the  fine  iron  scales  with 
which  the  floor  was  covered ;  the  smiths,  like  all  other  artisans,  having  the  greatest 
disinclination  to  work  for  the  Government  one  second  beyond  the  time  for  which  they 
were  paid.  The  engines  kept  up  their  din  a  few  moments  after  all  other  sounds  had 
ceased,  but  finding  themselves  deserted  gave  it  up,  and,  judging  by  the  way  they 
jerked  the  vapour  from  their  steam  pipes,  appeared  to  be  taking  a  quiet  smoke  on  their 
own  account. 

From  forge,  workshop,  factory,  mast-pond,  saw-mill,  store,  and  building  shed — from 
under  huge  ships  propped  up  in  dry-dock,  or  towering  grandly  on  their  slips, — from 
lofty  tops  and  dark  holds, — out  of  boat  and  lighter, — from  every  nook  and  corner 
swarmed  mechanics  and  labourers, — all  these  uniting  in  one  eager  mob,  elbowed  and 
jostled  their  way  towards  the  gate,  like  boys  leaving  school. 

The  dockyard  was  bounded  by  a  high  wall  upon  the  side  nearest  the  town,  whilst 
its  river  frontage  was  guarded  by  sentries,  who  not  only  protected  the  Queen's  property, 
but  prevented  her  jolly  tars  from  taking  boat  in  a  manner  not  allowed  upon  Her 
Majesty's  service. 


2  BLUE    JACKETS  ;    OR,    THE    ADVENTURES    OF 

The  doors  of  the  great  'g&ie  were  thrown  -wide  open,  and  the  crowd  poured  through 
as  if  quite  ignoring  the  presence  of  a  number  of  detectives,  who  were  posted  near  it, 
to  prevent  deserters  from  the  ships  of  war  from  passing  out  with  the  workpeople; 
special  precaution  being  taken  at  that  time,  as  the  country  required  every  sailor  she 
could  muster,  to  man  the  ships  then  being  fitted  out  for  service  against  the  Russians. 

When  the  rush  was  at  its  height  a  sailor  disguised  in  the  sooty  garb  of  a  smith 
emerged  from  behind  a  stack  of  timber,  piled  near  the  main  entrance,  and  joining  a 
party  of  workmen,  who  evidently  recognized  him,  was  forced  on  with  them  towards  the 
gate,  the  man  walking  as  unconcernedly  as  any  ordinary  labourer.  As  they  neared  the 
detectives  the  attention  of  the  latter  was  suddenly  distracted  by  the  noise  of  a  passing 
circus  procession,  and  for  a  moment  the  officials  were  off  their  guard. 

"  Keep  your  face  this  way,  mate,  and  look  careless  at  the  peelers,"  whispered  one 
Df  the  party  to  the  deserter,  and  the  man  so  warned  did  as  he  was  directed,  although  he 
scarcely  breathed  as  he  brushed  by  them,  the  very  buttons  on  their  uniforms  seeming 
to  spy  him  out,  and  to  raise  a  fear  in  his  breast  that  he  would  find  a  hand  rudely  laid 
upon  his  collar,  and  hear  the  words,  "  You're  a  prisoner  ?  "  However,  they  did  not  even 
look  at  him,  and  in  another  moment  he  found  himself  free. 

The  deserter  was  an  able  seaman  named  Tom  Clare,  a  sober,  excellent  sailor,  and  the 
devoted  husband  of  a  worthy  girl  to  whom  he  had  been  but  a  few  weeks  united.  Tom 
had  not  long  before  arrived  home  from  the  China  Station  in  H.  M.  S.  Porpoise,  and 
finding  some  property  bequeathed  to  him,  had  applied  to  the  Admiralty  for  his 
discharge,  but  his  application  was  refused  ;  and  although  he  offered  to  provide  one  or 
more  substitutes,  his  petition  was  returned  to  him,  with  orders  to  proceed  at  once  to  the 
ship  to  which  he  had  been  drafted,  under  penalty  of  being  arrested  as  a  deserter.  Tom 
found,  to  his  sorrow,  there  was  no  alternative.  If  he  stayed,  the  authorities  would  at 
once  arrest  him,  as  they  were  notified  of  his  whereabouts.  He  knew  England  had  just 
entered  upon  a  tremendous  struggle  with  Russia ;  so,  hoping  it  would  soon  be  over,  and 
the  demand  for  seamen  decrease,  he  determined  to  face  his  misery,  and  proceed  to 
"Woolwich  to  join  the  Stinger,  that  ship  being  rapidly  fitted  out  for  foreign 
service. 

As  it  was  customary  to  allow  the  men  leave  to  go  on  shore  at  least  twice  a  week, 
Clare  was  accompanied  to  the  port  by  his  wife,  his  only  request  being  that  she  should 
never  attempt  to  visit  him  on  board  his  ship,  to  which  she  reluctantly  agreed,  but 
thought  it  very  hard  that  her  husband  should  make  such  a  stipulation.  Leaving  her  in 
respectable  lodgings,  he  walked  down  to  the  docks,  was  directed  to  his  ship,  and  in  a 
few  moments  found  himself  before  the  first  lieutenant.  This  officer,  by  name  Howard 
Crushe,  was  a  tall  cadaverous-looking  man,  with  a  face  upon  which  meanness  and 
cruelty  were  plainly  depicted.  Clare  knew  him  at  once,  Crushe  having  been  the 
second  lieutenant  of  his  last  ship,  and  as  such  having  twice  endeavoured  to  get  him 
flogged. 

"  Come  on,  board  to  jine,  if  you  please,  sir,"  said  the  seaman. 

"  Oh !  that's  you,  Mr.  Clare,  is  it  ?  "  sneered  this  ornament  of  the  navy. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  Tom,  putting  a  cheerful  face  on  it,  and  endeavouring  to  appeal 
rather  pleased  than  otherwise  to  see  his  old  officer. 

"  Do  you  remember  I  promised  you  four  dozen  when  you  sailed  with  me  in  the 
Porpoise,  eh  ?  Well,  my  fine  fellow,  mind  your  p's  and  q's,  or  you'll  find  I  shall  keep 
my  word.  I  remember !  You're  the  brute  who  objected  to  my  kicking  a  whelp  of  a 
boy.  All  right !  I'm  glad  you  have  been  drafted  to  my  ship,  as  I  can  make  it  a  little 
heaven  for  you." 

Clare  remembered    the    circumstance    to    which    Crushe    alluded,  he    having    once 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE." 

interfered  to  save  a  poor  boy  from  brutal  treatment  at  the  hands  of  that  officer,  and  now 
he  was  in  his  power  he  knew  he  was  a  marked  man. 

The  lieutenant  called  for  Mr.  Shever,  the  boatswain,  and  told  him  to  put  the  sailor 
in  the  starboard- watch,  at  the  same  time  privately  informing  that  warrant  officer  of  his 
dislike  to  the  man. 

"  Leave  him  to  me,  sir.  I  knows  him.  He  is  a  werry  good  man,  but  has  them 
high-flown  notions,"  was  the  reply  of  the  boatswain 

Tom  was  taken  forward  and  put  to  work ;  and  when  the  dinner  pipe  went, 
proceeded  on  board  the  receiving  hulk  with  the  rest  of  the  Stinger's,  having  fully  made 
up  his  mind  to  be  civil,  and  do  his  duty,  in  spite  of  the  depressing  aspect  of  the  future. 
"  Perhaps  he'll  not  try  and  flake  me,  arter  all,"  he  thought.  "  If  I  does  my  best  and 
don't  answer  him  sassy,  he  can't  be  such  a  cold-blooded  monster  as  to  do  what  he  sea. 
I  suppose  he  only  wanted  to  frighten  me."  As  the  sailor  pondered  over  this,  his  face 
showed  that  although  he  endeavoured  to  argue  himself  into  the  belief  that  all  would 
come  right,  still  his  mind  was  filled  with  alarm  at  the  prospect  before  him. 

The  Stinger  was,  according  to  the  Navy-List,  commanded  by  Captain  Puffeigh, 
a  short,  fat,  vulgar,  fussy  little  man ;  but  in  reality  Crushe,  who  had  married  the 
captain's  niece,  had  sole  control  of  the  ship,  Puffeigh  merely  coming  on  board  once  a 
week,  and  staying  just  long  enough  to  throw  the  first  lieutenant's  plans  into  confusion. 
The  crew  knew  there  was  a  captain  belonging  to  the  ship,  but  probably  not  two 
of  their  number  could  tell  who  he  was.  Crushe  was  the  officer  they  looked  to,  and  all 
of  them  soon  found  out  that  he  was  a  Tartar.  His  first  act  of  despotism  towards  Clare 
was  to  stop  his  leave  to  go  on  shore ;  and  this  he  did  on  the  day  the  man  joined 
the  ship. 

"  Please,  sir,  do  let  me  go  ashore  to  see  my  wife,"  pleaded  the  sailor. 
"  Let   your  fancy   come   off  with   the  other  girls,"   was   the   lieutenant's   brutal 
rejoinder. 

Tom  bit  his  lips,  and  turned  away  disgusted  and  almost  mad,  knowing  it  would  not 
do  to  show  what  he  felt.  He  thought,  "  of  course  the  lieutenant  imagines  all  women 
who  have  anything  to  do  with  sailors  are  bad  ;  he  don't  know  how  good  she  is.  I  wish 
I  could  have  him  face  to  face  on  shore,  I'd  cram  them,  ere  words  down  his  lean  throat,  I 
would." 

Tom's  leave  had  been  stopped  for  over  a  fortnight,  and  all  his  appeals  met  with 
insults  from  Crushe,  when  one  morning,  the  crew  having  been  transferred  from 
the  hulk  to  the  Stinger,  Captain  Puffeigh  visited  the  ship ;  and  after  a  superficial 
survey,  desired  the  first  lieutenant  to  muster  the  men,  observing,  "  I  think  it's  time 
they  should  know  who  I  am."  The  fact  was,  he  began  to  be  a  little  jealous  of  his 
lieutenant's  power,  and  thought  it  best  to  show  his  authority. 

After  much  piping  and  shouting  on  the  part  of  Shever  and  his  mates,  the  men  were 
mustered  upon  the  quarter-deck,  and  they  certainly  were  "  a  motley  crew."  There  was 
the  usual  proportion  of  petty-officers,  all  old  men-of-war's  men ;  able  seamen,  principally 
volunteers  from  the  merchant  service ;  ordinary  seamen,  mostly  outcasts  driven  by  dire 
necessity  to  join  the  navy  ;  and  first  and  second  class  boys.  The  latter  were,  with  a 
few  exceptions,  workhouse-bred,  and  imagined  themselves  in  clover.  They  served  their 
country  by  doing  all  the  dirty  work  of  the  ship  from  4  A.M.  until  6  P.M.,  after  which 
time,  until  piped  to  rest,  the  lads  amused  themselves  by  learning  to  drink  and  smoke, 
or  by  listening  to  the  intellectual  conversation  and  songs  of  the  gentlemanly  outcasts 
before  mentioned.  Men  like  Clare  felt  rather  disgusted  upon  finding  themselves 
ranked  with  such  fellows ;  although  had  this  collection  of  human  beings  been  under 
the  guidance  of  a  humane  commander  and  first  lieutenant,  they  might  after  a  time 


•i  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  AD VENTURES  OF 

have  been  moulded  into  a  good  crew.  Of  course  they  were  a  rough  lot,  as  the  Queen's 
service  offered,  at  that  time,  but  few  inducements  to  decent  sailors. 

Puffeigh  walked  up  and  down  the  line,  scanning  the  faces  of  the  men  with  anything 
but  a  pleasant  expression  upon  his  countenance.  He  picked  out  the  sailors  at  a  glance, 
and  spoke  to  them,  asking  the  usual  question,  were  they  satisfied  with  their  ship  ? 
When  he  came  to  Clare  he  stopped  for  a  moment,  and  observed  to  Crushe,  "  What  a 
fine  fellow  that  is  !  " 

"  One  of  the  worst  characters  in  the  fleet,"  replied  the  first  lieutenant. 

However,  the  captain  questioned  him  as  he  had  done  the  others,  upon  which  Tom 
briefly  and  respectfully  asked  the  commander  for  permission  to  go  on  shore,  like  the 
rest  of  the  men. 

"  Speak  to  Lieutenant  Crushe  about  that.     I  leave  those  things  to  him  entirely." 

Tom  was  about  to  reply  that  he  had  done  so,  when  the  captain  cut  him  short  with, 
"  There,  my  man,  discipline  must  be  maintained,"  and  then  gave  the  order  to  "  pipe 
down." 

The  dignified  Puffeigh  strutted  aft,  and  Lieutenant  Crushe,  calling  Clare  to  him, 
said,  between  his  teeth,  "  You  sweep  !  I'll  keep  my  word  with  you  as  soon  as  we  get 
into  blue  water." 

Tom  knew  full  well  what  that  meant :  he  was  to  be  flogged  ;  so  he  determined  to 
desert,  and  get  out  of  the  country.  His  country  required  his  services,  but  no  man  could 
stand  such  treatment.  His  mind  was  made  up,  and  he  wrote  to  his  wife  as  follows  : 


"  H.  M.  Stinger,  Woolwich  doc-yard,  12  October, 

"  DEAR  POLLY, 

"  Come  aborde  at  dinner  time  on  Sunday.     Mind  you  are  not  laite. 
"Your  loving  husband, 

"Ton  CLARE." 

His  wife  had  not  seen  him  since  the  day  he  joined  the  ship,  although  she  had  several 
times  been  tempted  to  go  on  board  ;  but  remembering  his  earnest  wish,  was  obliged  to 
content  herself  with  the  letters  he  sent  her ;  and  the  poor  fellow  often  went  without  a 
meal  in  order  to  find  time  to  write  her  a  line.  He  could  not  b-~sar  to  have  his  fair  young 
wife  herded  upon  the  wharf  with  the  degraded  creatures  who  daily  swarmed  down  to 
the  ship,  but  come  she  must  now,  as  it  was  the  only  chance  by  which  he  could  escape 
from  his  hateful  bondage. 

On  the  appointed  day  Polly  went  down,  and  was  one  of  the  first  to  be  passed  on 
board  by  the  ship's-corporal,  Tom's  lips  quivered  as  he  saw  her  descend  the  gangway 
ladder,  and  soon  he  was  by  her  side.  There  was  no  loud  demonstration,  but  the  fervant 
pressure  of  their  hands  showed  how  happy  they  were  to  meet  again,  even  in  that  place. 
By  a  fortunate  accident,  the  boatswain  was  absenl;,  and  his  cabin  left  in  charge  of 
a  good-natured  A.  B.,  by  name  Jerry  Thompson. 

When  Polly  was  descending  the  main  hatchway  ladder,  Jerry,  who  knew  all  about 
Crushe's  behaviour  towards  Clare,  stepped  forward,  saying,  "  This  way,  mum,"  and,  to 
the  delight  of  the  couple,  they  were  shown  into  Mr.  Shever's  cabin,  and  thus  enabled  to 
have  four  hours'  uninterrupted  chat ;  the  sailor  going  off,  after  placing  before  them  his 
own  dinner  and  allowance  of  grog.  Jerry  had  a  susceptible  heart,  and  would  do  any 
thing  to  serve  a  woman. 

Tom  rapidly  ran  over  his  reasons  for  attempting  to  escape,  and  you  may  be  sure 
Polly  agreed  and  sympathized  with  him  in  everything. 

"  What  a  shame,"  she  exclaimed,  "  to  keep  you  on  board,  when  even  the  boys  get  as 
much  leave  as  they  choose  to  ask  for !  " 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."     ,   5 

"  Never  mind,  my  dear,"  he  replied.  "  I'll  not  ask  'em  for  leave  this  day  week,  if  all 
goes  well." 

Polly  left  the  ship  in  good  spirits,  and  was  gallantly  escorted  to  the  dock-gates  by 
the  kind-hearted  A.  B.,  who  said  to  her  on  parting, 

"  Mum,  if  ever  Tom  wants  a  friend,  I'll  do  my  best  for  him,  for  the  sake  of  his  wife. 
You  see,  mum,  I'm  not  a  married  man  myself,  but  I  can  feel  for  them  as  is." 

"  God  bless  you,  sir,  for  your  kindness,"  sobbed  Polly. 

"  Jerry,  mum,  not  sir  ;  we  ain't  allowed  that  rate  in  a  man-o'-war." 

Polly  laughed  through  her  tears,  and  nodding  to  the  sailor,  passed  quickly  through 
the  turnstile,  and  was  soon  out  of  sight. 

Before  the  week  was  over  she  had  made  all  the  arrangements  for  her  husband's 
flight ;  having  smuggled  off  a  complete  suit  of  well-worn  smith's  clothes,"  and  paid  the 
men  from  whom  she  obtained  them  a  sum  of  money  to  assist  Tom  in  getting  through 
the  gate. 

As  we  have  described,  Clare  played  his  part  well,  and  passed  the  detectives  without 
the  slightest  suspicion  on  their  part  that  a  deserter  had  escaped  before  their  eyes. 

On  leaving  the  men  who  had  assisted  him,  Clare  turned  to  the  left,  keeping  with  the 
crowd  as  much  as  possible.  All  along  the  foot  of  the  wall  were  crouched  anxious  wives 
and  children,  waiting  with  "  father's  dinner,"  in  order  to  save  him  a  long  walk.  Many 
of  these  watchers  peered  into  his  face,  and  some  of  the  little  ones  would  clap  their 
hands  and  cry,  "  Here's  daddy !" 

Tom.  walked  on  for  a  few  moments,  hardly  able  to  realize  he  was  free,  when 
suddenly  Polly,  who  had  followed  him  from  the  dock-gate,  caught  him  by  the  arm. 

"  For  heaven's  sake,  Polly,  don't  draw  notice  on  me  ;  walk  on  ahead,  dear,  I'll  follow 
you  ;  but  don't  look  behind  you,  unless  you  would  have  me  took." 

Poor  Tom  !  The  loving  taunt  of  that  speech  was  understood  by  his  wife.  She  have 
him  taken  !  Why,  he  knew  the  poor  girl  would  die  for  him. 

Away  she  walked,  quite  in  a  different  direction  from  that  of  her  old  lodgings  ;  up 
one  street  and  down  another,  until  they  were  fairly  out  in  the  country,  she  praying  all 
the  time  that  her  love  might  never  be  retaken,  and  thanking  God  her  husband  was  now 
free.  The  footfall  behind  her  was  delightful  music  ;  while  he,  devouring  her  with,  his 
eyes,  and  longing  once  more  to  clasp  her  to  his  heart,  thanked  heaven  in  his  own  rough 
.sailor  style. 

"Am  I  dreaming?"  he  muttered.  "No, -there  she  is,  the  beauty — there  she  is — 
thank  the  good  God  who  guards  her  always — I  am  awake — it's  real — I  ain't 
asleep." 

He  imagined  that  walk  the  longest  he  had  ever  taken. 

"  "Will  she  never  bring  to  ?  "  he  thought. 

At  last  she  stopped  before  a  neat  cottage,  and  lifting  the  latch,  darted  in.  Her 
husband  was  not  long  after  her,  and  she  was  soon  clasped  in  his  arms. 

"Polly,  dear  heart !  "Wife  !  look  at  me ! "  he  almost  sobbed  as  he  tenderly  pressed 
her  to  his  heart.  "  Bear  up,  my  pretty  one !  I'm  here,  and  all  safe,  and  never  going 
away  again." 

But  the  poor  girl  was  too  happy  to  reply,  and  a  flood  of  tears  gave  relief  to 
her  feelings,  ere  she  was  composed  enough  to  talk  about  his  plans  of  escape.  When  her 
agitation  had  somewhat  abated,  Polly  produced  a  suit  of  farmer's  clothes ;  and  after 
Tom  had  shaved  off  his  whiskers,  she  cut  the  curly  locks  from  his  head,  although  it 
very  much  grieved  her  to  do  so.  When  the  process  was  complete,  she  called  in  her 
father  and  mother,  who  had  come  up  from  Kingsdown  to  assist  their  girl  in  her 


O  BLUE    JACKETS  ;    OK,    THE    ADVENTUKES    OF 

trouble.  Clare  had  taken  a  seat  by  the  fire,  and  his  disguise  was  so  complete,  that  the 
good  old  people  could  not,  until  he  spoke  to  them,  make  out  who  he  was. 

"  That  beant  you,  Tom,  be  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,  it's  me,  father." 

"  Why,  you  do  puzzle  me.  I  don't  know  you  a  bit.  You  looks  like  the  young- 
squire." 

Many  were  the  congratulations  which  passed  between  them,  and  when  the  old 
fisherman  handed  Tom  a  passage  ticket  for  himself  and  Polly,  by  which  Clare  found 
he  could  leave  Liverpool  for  New  York  on  the  following  Wednesday,  he  caught  the  old 
man  in  his  arms  and  fairly  hugged  him. 

It  was  settled  they  should  leave  the  house  about  six  o'clock  P.M.,  and  as  the  police 
were  sure  to  be  on  the  alert,  a  cart  was  procured  in  which  they  were  to  be  conveyed  to 
London,  it  being  arranged  that  a  brother  of  their  kind  hostess  was  to  act  as  driver, 
while  Tom  and  Polly  were  to  lie  down  in  the  straw  until  they  arrived  in  the  big  city. 
Once  there,  they  might  walk  to  the  railway  station.  If  all  went  well  they  would  reach 
Liverpool  the  next  day,  where  they  could  remain  unmolested,  until  the  ship  sailed  for 
America. 

"  Come,  Tom,"  said  the  old  woman,  "  you  must  be  hungry,  lad.  I  warrant  you,  a 
bit  of  meat  and  a  drop  o'  beer  won't  come  amiss,"  upon  which  she  bustled  about ;  and, 
with  the  assistance  of  Polly,  a  meal  was  prepared  and  placed  upon  the  table. 

Tom  sat  by  the  window,  keenly  watching  the  few  stragglers  who  passed  by,  when 
suddenly  he  started  back  and  turned  pale,  as  a  corporal  of  marines  walked  up,  looked 
suspiciously  at  the  cottage,  and  then  crossing  the  road,  questioned  an  old  fellow,  who 
was  breaking  stones. 

Clare  could  not  make  out  what  he  said,  but  imagined  from  the  motions  of  the 
corporal  that  he  was  inquiring  who  lived  in  the  cottage.  Tom  called  Polly  and  told 
her  his  suspicion, — it  was  a  moment  of  great  anxiety  for  both  of  them.  At  length, 
however,  the  corporal  turned  upon  his  heel,  and  retraced  his  steps  down  the  lane. 
Their  landlady  was  sent  for;  and  as  the  good  creature  knew  all  about  her  lodgers' 
plans,  they  freely  imparted  their  fears  to  her,  begging  she  would  call  the  old  stone- 
breaker  in-doors,  and  ascertain  what  questions  the  petty  officer  had  put  to  him,  Tom 
and  his  wife  retreating  to  the  stairs,  where  they  overheard  the  following  conversation : 

"  I  say,  master,  who  was  that  speaking  to  ye  this  minute  ?  " 

"  Don't  know,  missis ;  but  I  expects  he  be  a  perlice." 

"  What  did  he  say  to  you,  master  ?  " 

" '  Well,'  he  says  to  me,  ses  he,  '  do  you  know,'  he  ses,  '  who  lives  over  there  ? '  he 
ses ;  that's  what  he  ses  to  me,  missis,  as  near  as  I  can  recollect." 

"  What  did  you  tell  him  ?  " 

"  Why,  I  says,  ses  I,  '  Look  here  !  what  do  you  want  to  know  for  ?  '  I  says." 

"  Well,  go  on,  go  on  !     What  else  did  he  ask  you  ?  " 

"  'Well,'  ses  he,  'have  you  seen  any  one  go  in  there  this  morning,' he  ses.  '  Yes!' 
ses  I.  '  Who  ? '  he  ses.  '  Well,'  ses  I,  '  I  seed  Missis  Drake,  I  ses,  and  her  lodger,  I  ses,. 
and  a  man,'  I  ses." 

"  You  old  foo — !  Excuse  me,  Master  Noyce,  but  you  did  not  see  no  man  come  in 
but  my  lodger.  There,  go  away  !  You  allus  was  a  stupid,  and  I'm  sure  of  it  now." 

"  Come,  missis  !  I  don't  want  no  blowin'  up.  You  axed  me  civil,  and  I  gave  you  an 
answer,"  retorted  the  old  man,  turning  sulkily  away. 

"  Yes !  you  ses,  and  you  ses,  and  you've  been  and  gone  and  d»ne  it,  you  wooden- 
headed  old  post !  "  whimpered  the  good-natured  woman,  after  she  had  closed  the  door 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."        7 

upon  him.  "  You've  done  it  this  time,  you  donkey !  "  -whereupon  she  sat  down  in  a 
chair,  and  had  a  good  cry. 

Tom  and  his  wife  came  out  of  their  place  of  concealment,  and  begged  she  would  not 
take  on  so,  as  it  was  no  fault  of  hers  that  the  man  had  given  the  information ;  but  the 
kind  creature  was  with  difficulty  assured  "  it  might  all  turn  out  to  be  nothing."  She 
felt  that,  after  all  the  poor  fellow's  trouble,  he  would  be  captured  and  flogged,  and  their 
arguments  only  increased  her  sympathy  for  the  unfortunate  couple.  However,  the 
afternoon  passed  away  with  no  more  signs  of  the  corporal,  and  by  six  o'clock  everything 
was  in  readiness.  The  old  folks  had  embraced  their  girl,  and  poor  Tom  was  leading 
her  out,  when  suddenly  a  party  of  marines  rushed  into  the  house,  and  the  corporal  in 
charge  laid  hands  on  Clare,  and  told  him  he  was  his  prisoner. 

Polly  clung  to  her  husband's  arm,  not  fully  realizing  the  dreadful  truth  ;  but  soon 
she  saw  all,  and  that  Tom  was  about  to  be  torn  from  her.  Rushing  between 
the  corporal  and  her  husband,  and  endeavouring  to  force  him  from  the  former's  grasp, 
she  raved  like  a  mad  woman. 

"  Yoii  dare  touch  him !  Take  your  hands  away,  you  wretch !  Do  you  hear  ? 
Leave  go  ! " 

Clare  was  about  to  speak  to  her,  when  the  corporal  said  with  a  sneer,  "  Pull  that 
thing  away,  and  gag  her  if  she  gives  any  more  of  her  talk.  She  need  not  make  such  a 
fuss  ;  she'll  soon  find  another  feller." 

These  words  had  hardly  passed  his  lips  before  Tom  had  the  speaker  down  upon  the 
floor,  with  both  his  hands'  tightly  clutching  the  soldier's  windpipe. 

"  Yon  brute,  I'll  kill  you ! "  he  yelled.  And  he  seemed  likely  to  carry  out  his  threat. 
However,  the  marines  threw  themselves  upon  the  deserter,  who,  after  a  desperate 
struggle,  was  beaten  senseless,  handcuffed,  and  dragged  away. 

When  the  old  fisherman,  his  wife's  father,  saw  how  brutally  they  ill-treated  Tom, 
he  seized  a  stick  and  endeavoured  to  assist  him,  but  was  overpowered  and  beaten,  until 
he,  too,  lay  like  a  dead  man,  the  corporal  encouraging  his  men  "  to  pitch  into  the  old 
scoundrel." 

Polly  and  her  mother  were  happily  unconscious  of  the  last  part  of  the  outrage,  both 
having  fainted  when  Clare  seized  upon  the  soldier.  Some  neighbours,  aroused  by  the 
screams  of  their  landlady,  came  to  the  assistance  of  the  women,  who  after  a  short  time 
were  restored  to  their  senses. 

When  Polly  became  somewhat  composed,  she  asked  for  her  husband. 

"  Where  is  my  love  ?  Where  is  my  brave,  handsome  husband  ?  Gone  ?  Have 
those  wretches  taken  him  ?  You  coward,  father,  to  let  them  take  my  Tom !  O  God ! 
They'll  flog  him  !  I  can't  bear  it !  Let  me  go !  I  shall  go  mad ! " 

And  the  poor  girl  had  fit  after  fit,  until  they  feared  she  would  die  of  exhaustion. 
The  heart-broken  old  people  watched  her  through  the  night,  thinking  and  almost 
praying  that  death  would  come  to  her  relief. 

The  prisoner  was  conveyed  on  board  his  ship,  and  taken  aft  upon  the  quarter-deck, 
where  he  was  reported  to  the  officer  of  the  watch,  a  mate  named  Cravan,  derisively 
called  by  the  midshipman  "Xosey,"  and  that  officer  being  a  creature  of  the  first 
lieutenant's,  took  upon  himself  to  reprimand  the  man. 

"  So  you  have  caught  him,  eh  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  corporal  with  a  military  flourish,  "  but  we  had  no  end 
of  trouble.  He  were  in  a  low  den  outside  the  town,  along  with  a  lot  of  vimen,  and 
ven  I  arrested  him,  he  werry  nigh  killed  me." 

"I  were  with  my  wife,  sir,"  pleaded  the  prisoner. 


8  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

"  Tour  wife,  of  course !  Any  trollop  is  your  wife.  It  is  a  very  convenient  relation- 
ship," sneered  the  bully. 

Roused  by  this  coarse  speech,  and  not  caring  for  consequences,  Clare  raised  his 
manacled  hands,  and  dealt  the  brutal  speaker  a  blow  between  the  eyes,  which  stretched 
him  upon  the  deck.  The  sailor  was  about  following  up  the  attack,  but  was  prevented 
by  the  marines,  who  after  a  desperate  struggle  secured  him,  and  stopped  further 
violence  on  his  part. 

"  Put  him  in  irons  ?  "  yelled  Cravan,  rising  to  his  feet.  "  And,"  added  he,  as  the 
prisoner  was  dragged  from  his  presence,  "  you  hound  !  your  woman  will  bring  you  to 
the  gratings  yet !  " 

Clare  was  taken  below,  heavily  ironed,  and  thrown  into  the  ship's  prison.  There, 
bruised  in  body  and  sick  at  heart,  he  watched  away  the  weary  night.  He  almost 
regretted  he  had  not  killed  the  mate.  No  doubt  this  was  wrong  and  horrible ;  but  we 
must  remember  he  had  been  driven  nearly  mad,  and  knew  full  well  the  punishment 
for  the  attack  upon  Cravan  would  be  death — or  a  worse  fate  to  a  man  of  feeling — a 
flogging. 

Once  during  the  night  he  was  visited  by  a  midshipman  who  evidently  pitied  him. 
Tom's  wrists  were  raw  and  bleeding,  so  the  youngster  tore  up  his  handkerchief,  and 
bound  it  round  the  handcuffs,  the  sentry  who  accompanied  the  officer  holding  the 
light,  and  laughing  to  himself  all  the  time  to  think  any  one  could  be  so  "  soft." 
James  Ryan — this  was  the  middy's  name — was  a  warm-hearted  Irish  lad,  and  would 
never  allow  a  man  to  be  treated  like  a  dog,  if  he  had  power  to  prevent  it.  Clare  did 
not  say  anything  when  the  boy  had  completed  his  task  of  mercy ;  in  fact,  it  was  almost 
impossible  for  him  to  speak,  so  overcome  was  he  by  the  kindness.  When  the  door  was 
closed  upon  him,  he  heard  the  sentry  say,  with  a  chuckle, 

"  Didn't  seem  to  thank  ye  for  it  much,  sir  ?  " 

"Perhaps  he  felt  all  the  more,"  replied  the  generous  boy.  This  was  true,  as  Tom 
thanked  him  in  his  heart. 

Few  who  do  not  know  the  service  can  understand  the  goodness  of  the  middy,  who 
was  laughed  at  for  weeks  afterwards  for  his  act  of  mercy.  If  any  one  lost  his  hand- 
kerchief, he  was  directed  to  Ryan  for  it,  with  the  remark  that  "  possibly  he  had  given 
it  to  some  deserter." 

Mr.  Cravan  submitted  his  bruises  to  the  inspection  of  a  sympathizing  assistant- 
surgeon,  and  then  went  to  bed,  or,  as  sailors  term  it,  "  turned  in,"  determined  to  be 
revenged  on  the  man  who  had  so  violently  attacked  him.  "  He's  safe  for  four  dozen, 
anyhow,"  he  murmured,  as  he  arranged  the  bandage  over  his  aching  eyes,  "  and  it  will 
do  the  brute  good." 

The  next  day  he  received  the  condolence  of  Puffeigh  and  Crushe;  but  Lieutenant 
Ford  and  the  rest  of  the  ward-room  officers  did  not  conceal  the  disgust  they  felt  at  his 
behaviour,  and  he  also  found  himself  cut  by  many  of  his  mess-mates  in  the  gun-room. 

A  few  evenings  after  this  he  went  to  a  ball,  and  as  only  one  or  two  of  those  present 
knew  the  facts  of  the  case,  he  received  many  sympathizing  inquiries.  The  poor  fellow 
who  had  so  nearly  been  killed  by  a  brute  of  a  deserter  was  an  object  of  great  attention 
to  many  present,  and  "  Nosey  "  Cravan  for  once  experienced  little  difficulty  in  obtaining 
partners.  He  was,  however,  not  a  little  piqued  by  the  reply  of  the  belle  of  the  evening, 
to  his  request  to  honour  him  with  her  hand  for  the  next  waltz.  Bending  towards  him, 
and  smiling  as  if  she  were  conveying  a  complimentary  reply,  she  whispered,  "  No,  sir,  I 
cannot  dance  with  such,  a  hero."  i 

This  young  lady  was  a  cousin  of  Lieutenant  Ford's,  and  had  heard  from  her  relation 
that  Mr.  Cravan  had  grossly  insulted  the  man  who  attacked  him ;  therefore,  when 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    "  THE    HEATHEN   CHINEE. 


9 


elated  with  his  success  among  the  ladies,  the  mate  ventured  to  solicit  her  as  a  partner, 
she  quietly  put  him  down. 

"  She  never  can  mean  to  snub  me  because  I  spoke  rather  roughly  to  the  fellow. 
Well,  I  suppose  Ford  has  told  them  his  version  of  the  affair.  She's  a  deuced  peculiar 
sort  of  a  girl,  and  probably  thinks  the  man  ought  not  to  be  flogged  for  his  infernal 
conduct,  and  has  romantic  ideas  that  the  fellow  has  feelings  like  ours,"  thought  Cravan. 
He,  however,  wandered  into  the  supper-room,  and  finding  a  vacant  place,  was  soon 
too  far  gone  in  champagne  to  trouble  himself  what  people  thought  of  him,  under  any 
circumstances  whatever. 


10  BLUE   JACKETS  J    OK,    THE   ADVENTURES   OF 


CHAPTER  IL 

The  Stinger  being  nearly  ready  for  sea,  the  boatswain's  wife  determined  to  give  a 
party  in  honour  of  the  event,  and  suggested  that  Mr.  Shevcr  should  ask  a  few  of  his 
men.  Now,  this  was  certainly  very  contrary  to  all  that  warrant  officer's  ideas  of 
propriety. 

"  What !  ask  blue  jackets?  why,  my  dear,  it  is  against  all  precedent,"  he  exclaimed. 

"  Bother  your  president,"  said  the  good  natured  woman.  "  Ask  a  few  of  the  poor 
fellows ;  I  warrant  you  they  will  behave  well ;  then,  knowing  me,  if  ever  you  are  sick, 
they  will  look  after  you." 

After  many  pros  and  cons  the  husband  as  usual,  yielded  to  his  wife's  persuasion,  and 
agreed  to  invite  Gummings,  a  quartermaster,  Price,  a  boatswain's  mate,  and  the 
tender-hearted  Jerry  Thompson. 

Jerry  was  of  middle  height,  well  built  and  active,  with  good-looking  oval  face 
bronzed  by  exposure  in  many  climes,  dark  eyes,  and  curly  chestnut-coloured  hair. 
[Frank,  generous  and  good  natured  to  a  fault,  he  was  liked  by  every  man  and  boy  in 
the  ship, — while  his  respectfully  cheeky  manner  was  tolerated  by  his  officers,  who 
passed  over  his  freedom  of  speech  and  action. 

At  various  times  Jerry  had  determined  to  give  up  the  sea  and  settle  on  shore,  but 
after  a  few  month's  trial  his  roving  propensities  would  get  the  better  of  him,  and  in 
spite  of  the  lamentations  of  the  children  and  regrets  of  his  numerous  circle  of  lady 
friends,  he  would  pack  his  chest  and  be  off  to  sea  again. 

Previous  to  joining  the  Stinger  he  had  for  some  months  been  employed  as  a  super 
at  the  Surrey  Theatre  ;  but  growing  weary  of  that  life,  and  the  country  being  at  war, 
he  joined  the  navy,  as  he  remarked,  "from  patriotic  motives  of  a  hard-up  description." 
This  was  his  first  trial  of  a  man-of-war's  life,  he  being,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  a 
merchant-service  sailor,  which  will  account  for  his  want  of  reverence  for  the  authorities 
and  traditions  of  H.  M.  Navy. 

Mr.  Shever  was  serving  out  spun  yarn  one  morning,  when  Jerry  came  to  him  for 
orders.  Giving  directions  as  to  the  business  on  which  the  seaman  had  consulted  him, 
the  boatswain,  after  a  short  pause,  suddenly  asked  "  if  he  had  ever  been  to  a  party  ?" 

"  Many  a  one,"  replied  the  sailor,  "  The  last  one  of  any  importance  was  with  my 
Lord  Buckingham." 

"  Come,  now,"  growled  the  boatswain,  "  I  wants  no  chaff.  I  knows  a  lady  who 
intends  giving  a  party,  and  probably  she  may  ask  you." 

Jerry  at  once  saw  how  the  land  lay,  and  assured  the  official  that,  "  in  case  of  his 
being  a  favored  one,  he  would  be  on  his  best  behavior." 

"  None  of  your — "  (here  the  boatswain  lifted  his  hand  as  if  in  the  act  of  imbibing 
some  intoxicating  fluid).  "You  know  1  don't  allow  none  of  that  sort  of  goings  on  in 
my  house;  and,"  aaded  he,  "the  party  breaks  up  when  I  pipes  down;  that  will  be 
your  signal." 

Mr.  Shever  was  somewhat  doubtful  in  his  own  mind  whether  Jerry  was  sufficiently' 
sedate  for  admission  to  such  a  select  company  as  his  wife  had  asked ;  but,  as  she  had 
set  her  mind  upon  it,  come  he  must,  or  a  family  difficulty  might  arise,  in  which  case 


J  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  u  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      11 

Mr.  Shever  would  as  usual,  come  off  second  best.     His  idea  of  "  piping  down"  when  he 
thought  his  visitors  should  depart  was  both  novel  and  nauticaL 

He  merely  stated  to  the  other  sailors  that  he  wanted  them  to  take  a  cup  of  tea  at 
his  house  on  a  certain  day ;  they  were  old  and  tried  men,  and  he  knew  they  would  not 
be  any  trouble  to  him. 

Whenever  the  boatswain  had  an  opportunity  he  would  put  a  few  questions  to  Jerry, 
or  ask  his  advice  on  important  points  of  the  coming  entertainment.  Mr.  Shever  was 
of  the  opinion  that  "tea  and  shrimps,  with  a  song  afterwards,  was  the  correct  sort  of 
thing ; "  while  Jerry  suggested  tea  and  muffins,  with  a  dance  to  follow, — the  whole  to 
wind  up  with  a  glass  of  punch."  On  this  coming  to  Mrs.  Shever's  ears,  she  at  once 
adopted  the  idea  as  an  entirely  original  plan  of  her  own,  and  declared  "  if  Mr.  Shever 
did  not  order  a  fiddler  and  a  harpist,  she  would  forthwith  pack  up,  visit  her  mother,  and 
remain  there  until  the  Stinger  had  sailed." 

Jerry  looked  forward  with  pleasure  to  the  entertainment,  and  determined  to  show 
the  natives  a  few  of  his  most  elaborate  steps  in  the  hornpipe  line,  being  sure  he  would 
be  called  upon  to  amuse  the  company  in  that  way. 

At  last  the  day  arrived,  and  at  about  six  o'clock  P.M.  Thompson  was  on  his  way  to 
the  boatswain's  house.  His  companions  were  dressed  in  their  very  best,  and  looked  as 
unhappy  as  two  baboons  who  had  tried  on  a  suit  of  clothes  for  the  first  time.  On  the 
road  he  endeavoured  to  instil  a  little  cheerfulness  into  them,  but  it  proved  a  total 
failure. 

"  "We  mustn't  chew,  and  we  mustn't  get  tight,  and  we  mustn't  smoke,"  growled 
Gummings. 

""We've  got  to  stay  until  he  pipes  down,  and  then  all  the  publics  will  be  shut,"  mut- 
tered Price. 

Mr.  Shever  walked  slowly  home,  keeping  the  party  always  at  a  respectable  distance 
from  him.  What  would  people  say  if  they  knew  he  had  invited  such  strange  guests  ? 
You  see  even  H.  M.  boatswains  are  afraid  of  Mrs.  Grundy. 

Mrs.  Shever  had  stationed  a  small  girl  at  the  front  door  to  let  in  visitors,  so  that 
when  Jerry  touched  the  bell  the  door  was  promptly  opened  and  they  were  shown  into 
the  parlour.  Here,  enthroned  upon  the  sofa-bedstead,  sat  the  good  lady,  waiting  to 
receive  her  company.  By  her  side  was  seated  her  sister,  a  plump  jolly  girl,  about 
eighteen  years  of  age,  who,  when  she  saw  the  sailors,  giggled  and  bashfully  hid  her 
face  behind  a  turkey-feather  fan. 

The  three  men  walked  into  the  room,  and  stood  looking  at  the  ladies  like  shy 
children. 

In  a  few  moments  Mrs.  Shever  recovered  her  composure,  which  had  been  slightly 
disturbed  by  the  sudden  entrance  of  the  sailors,  although  all  three  of  them  were  well 
known  to  her,  and  addressing  Jerry,  said,  "  Good-evening,  Thompson,  I'm  proud  to  see 
you ;  and  you  too,  Price  and  Gummings."  Jerry,  not  at  all  abashed  after  the  ice  was 
broken,  advanced  towards  the  ladies,  and  politely  inquired  after  their  health.  The  two 
sailors  looked  around  with  a  bewildered  air,  pulled  their  forelocks,  mumbled,  "Service 
to  ye  missis,"  and  then  retired  to  a  bench  behind  the  door,  from  which  place  they  did 
not  emerge  until  tea  commenced. 

Thompson  was  soon  quite  at  home ;  and  as  one  corner  of  the  sofa  was  vacant,  he 
requested  permission  to  take  it.  His  amusing  stories  quickly  won  the  young  girl's 
attention,  and  a  formal  introduction  took  place,  Mrs.  Shever  giving  him  what  he  termed 
a  handle  to  his  name,  by  saying,  "Miss  Mary  Ann  Ross,  permit  me  to  introduce  you  to 
Mr.  Thompson."  When  she  rose  to  bow,  the  artful  fellow  seized  the  opportunity,  and 


12  BLUE   JACKETS  ;    OK,    THE   ADVENTUKES    OF 

sat  down  between  the  ladies ;  and  as  they  did  not  ask  him  to  move,  he  made  the  most 
of  his  position. 

Soon  after  this  Mr,  Shever  arrived,  and  seeing  Thompson  ensconsed  so  snugly,  tried 
to  catch  his  eye,  to  show  him  that  he  did  not  quite  approve  of  his  freedom.  But  it  was  of 
no  use.  Jerry  was  oblivious  of  win.br  and  nods,  or  returned  them  as  witty  and  artful 
exchanges  to  the  bewildered  boatswain,  At  last,  upon  the  arrival  of  Mrs.  Shever's 
mother  and  father  and  two  of  her  cousins  with  their  respective  young  men  in  waiting. 
Mr.  Shever '  requested  Jerry  to "  move  off  that  'ere  sofa,  and  let  the  girls  sit  down," 
upon  which  his  wife  told  the  aforesaid  girls  to  "sit  on  chairs  by  the  fire,  as  Mr. 
Thompson  was  getting  on  nicely,"  and  forthwith  ordered  her  husband  to  go  into  the 
kitchen,  and  help  the  girl  to  toast  the  muffins,  adding,  "  she  thought  they  could  spare 
him  well  enough." 

This  nattering  sentiment  was  fully  indorsed  by  Jerry,  who  declared  "  he  often  saw 
too  much  of  the  boatswain,"  a  remark  which  was  received  as  a  real  joke  by  all 
present  excepting  the  two  sailors,  who  were  fast  asleep  when  it  was  made.  They  woke 
up,  however,  in  time  to  join  in  the  laugh  that  follwed,  after  which  they  again  sweetly 
slumbered. 

Mr.  Shever  stood  in  the  passage  between  the  parlour  and  kitchen  until  the  laughter 
died  away,  and,  we  are  sorry  to  state,  said  anything  but  his  prayers.  "  Bless  his 
impudence  to  sit  on  the  sofa  between  'Melia  and  Mary  Ann,  and  to  wink  at  me  like 
that  there,  and  he  only  a  common  sailor.  For  two  pins  I'd  pipe  down  now." 

Another  peal  of  laughter  followed  just  then,  as  Jerry  had  finished  relating  a  joke, 
the  fun  of  which  was  torture  to  the  boatswain.  The  latter  seized  his  call,  and  putting 
it  to  his  lips,  blew  the  shrill  signal,  known  on  board  ship  as  "  pipe  down." 

"  "What's  that  ?  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Shever. 

"  Do  you  keep  a  canary  ?  "  innocently  inquired  Thompson.  Upon  which  the  boat- 
swain gave  another  blast  of  the  pipe,  and  this  time  it  was  much  louder. 

Mrs.  Shever  rang  the  bell,  and  when  the  servant  appeared  told  her  "  to  inform  Mr. 
Shever  if  he  wanted  to  amuse  himself  in  that  way  he'd  better  wait  until  he  got  on 
board  his  ship,"  and  added,  "  I  suppose  he  don't  want  me  to  come  out  to  him." 

As  he  did  not  repeat  the  noise,  it  may  be  presumed  he  felt  as  if  his  wife  was  just  as 
well  where  she  was ;  so  holding  his  peace,  he  turned  his  attention  to  toasting  the 
muffins,  and  winking  at  the  servant  girl,  which  combination  of  amusement  and  labour 
at  last  made  him  recover  his  temper,  and  by  the  time  he  had  finished  he  became  quite 
cheerful  again. 

"  If  you  please  mem,  tea's  aready  in  the  back  bedroom,"  said  the  servant. 

Mrs.  Shever  darted  a  look  of  displeasure  at  the  girl,  but  without  otherwise 
noticing  the  faux  pas,  invited  her  visitors  to  the  room  above,  which  was  indeed 
usually  devoted  to  the  purpose  described  by  the  maid. 

The  boatswain  had  what  he  called  "  rigged  the  tea  table  "  after  the  fashion  common  on 
board  ship,  when  the  sailors  make  an  effort  to  entertain  some  distinguished  visitor.  In 
the  centre  was  a  huge  earthenware  jug,  filled  with  choice  flowers  ;  and  the  decorations 
on  this  article  being  of  a  gorgeous  and  somewhat  eccentric  nature,  we  will  briefly 
describe  them.  On  one  side  was  depicted  H.  M.  S.  Bluefire,  which  with  brown  sails, 
red  masts  and  rigging,  and  blue  hull,  was  bounding  over  a  yellow  and  black  sea,  in 
company  with  some  purple  and  brown  boats.  On  the  reverse  side  was  a  representation 
of  the  Sailor's  Farewell,  showing  how  a  gallant  tar  in  a  blue  suit,  scarlet  face,  and 
goggle  eyes,  takes  leave  of  a  young  woman  dressed  in  a  yellow  gown,  cut  very  low  to 
show  off  her  pea-green  complexion.  The  said  jug  was  a  relic  of  Mrs.  Shever's  girlish 
days ;  and  being  a  present  to  her  from  a  sweetheart,  who  was  lost  in  an  Artie  expedition, 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."       13 

was  looked  upon  as  an  ornament  of  great  value,  and  as  such  only  brought  out  on  state 
occasions,  like  the  present. 

The  table  presented  a  somewhat  crowded  appearance,  as  the  boatswain  had  piled  up 
the  eatables  until  there  was  not  room,  to  set  another  tea-cup.  As  they  had  only  eleven 
chairs,  he  rigged  a  seat  by  the  window,  and  when  the  visitors  entered  the  room,  he 
endeavored  to  allot  this  to  Jerry. 

"Well,  mum,"  said  the  unabashed  sailor,  "you  have  done  the  thing  hansom  ;  ellow 
me — "  upon  which  he  handed  the  delighted  woman  to  her  place  at  the  head  of  the  table, 
He  next  installed  Mary  Ann ;  and  taking  a  seat  between  them,  cheerfully  observed 
that,  "  the  company  had  better  fall  to." 

The  silent  sailors  being  somewhat  modest,  were  still  standing  in  the  passage,  and 
there  were  two  vacant  places  at  the  table.  The  boatswain  was  about  availing  himself 
of  one  of  these,  when  his  wife  exclaimed,  "  Mr.  Shever,  where's  your  manners  ?  the 
visitors  are  not  all  accommodated." 

Shever  brought  in  the  two  sailors,  who  seated  themselves  upon  the  extreme  edge  of 
their  chairs,  and  looked  around  at  the  festive  party  like  infants  suddenly  led  into  a 
confectioner's  and  left  to  their  own  resources. 

The  unfortunate  boatswain  had  no  alternative  but  to  take  the  seat  by  the  window, 
from  which  he  was  presently  drawn  to  hand  round  the  muffins ;  this  occupation  calling 
forth  from  Jerry  the  witty  remark  that,  "  Mr.  Shever  seemed  quite  in  his  element," 
the  point  of  which  was  utterly  lost  upon  that  worthy. 

Thompson  related  some  of  his  most  amusing  yarns,  which  were  received  with  roars 
of  laughter  by  all  present,  with  the  exception  of  the  host  and  the  two  seamen.  The 
latter,  finding  themselves  behind  a  heap  of  bread  and  butter,  were  busily  employed  in 
reducing  the  level  of  the  same,  varying  their  banquet  with  a  few  pinches  of  shrimps, 
which  they  swallowed  whole,  utterly  oblivious  of  heads  or  tails,  washing  down  any 
little  obstacle  with  tea,  which  they  imbibed  from  pint  mugs,  Mrs.  Shever  knowing  it 
was  useless  to  tickle  their  palates  with  ordinary  quantities. 

"  Oh,  you  funny  man  ! "  screamed  Mary  Ann ;  "  I  never  heard  the  likes  of  you 
before." 

Jerry  received  this  as  a  direct  avowal  of  admiration  on  the  part  of  the  young  lady, 
and  redoubled  his  exertions  to  amuse  her. 

The  boatswain  was  boiling  over  with  rage ;  and  as  he  dared  not  object  before  his 
wife,  was  obliged  to  nurse  his  wrath,  his  only  relief  being  to  go  outside  the  room,  and 
"  pipe  down  "  softly  in  the  passage,  or  to  wink  at  the  servant  whenever  he  could  do  so 
with  safety. 

The  ladies  pressed  Thompson  to  eat,  saying  "  he  had  not  done  justice  to  the  fare. 
This  brought  forth  an  avowal  from  him,  "  that  to  his  idea  their  company  was  more 
delightful  than  the  choicest  viands."  Upon  this  sentence  being  explained  to  Mrs. 
Shever's  mother,  who  was  a  deaf  old  lady,  the  latter  signified  her  appreciation  by 
hammering  on  the  table  with  a  fork,  and  crying  "  braywo,"  which  being  looked  upon 
as  a  genteel  proceeding  and  part  of  the  ceremony  by  the  silent  sailors,  was  imme- 
diately adopted  by  them,  and  a  round  of  hearty  applause  followed.  The  boatswain, 
seizing  this  opportunity,  placed  his  call  to  his  lips  and  "  piped  belay,"  a  feat  which  he 
accomplished  without  being  detected  by  his  wife ;  although  the  seamen  understood  it, 
and  ceased  their  knocking  at  once. 

The  company  descended  to  the  parlour,  which  they  cleared  for  dancing ;  after  this 
the  seamen  took  up  their  old  positions  behind  the  door,  where,  like  two  well-gorged 
boaconstrictors,  they  curled  themselves  up  and  went  to  sleep. 

As  a  sort  of  opening  exercise,  one  of  the  young  men  in  waiting  volunteered  a  song, 


14  BLUE  JACKETS;  OR,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

•which  was  chiefly  on  "wiolets."  This  h&  bellowed  out  in  a  high  tone,  turning  up  hia 
eyes  to  the  ceiling  all  the  while,  until,  in  rendering  the  more  powerful  notes,  he 
strongly  resembled  a  blind  man. 

Jerry  listened  very  attentively,  until  the  last  verse  was  sung,  when,  attracting 
Mary  Ann's  eye,  he  turned  up  his  optics  exactly  as  the  singer  was  doing.  This  was 
too  much  for  her,  and  she  laughed  outright ;  the  rest  of  the  company  following  suit, 
until  the  fellow  began  to  think  he  was  singing  a  comic  song  instead  of  a  floral  howl , 
and  catching  the  infection  himself,  laughed  louder  than  any  of  the  party. 

The  boatswain  now  introduced  the  fiddler,  who,  apologizing  for  the  absence  of  the 
harpist,  who,  he  stated,  was  suffering  from  a  headache,  fell  to  tuning  his  violin. 

Thompson  was  uncertain  whether  to  ask  the  hostess  or  Mary  Ann  to  dance  with 
him.  He  was  about  to  speak  to  Mrs.  Shever,  when  she  said  good-humouredly,  "  Now, 
Mr.  Thompson,  don't  neglect  Mary  Ann ! "  upon  which  he  led  the  blushing  girl  out, 
and  in  a  few  moments  they  werQ  "  hard  at  it,"  this  being  the  only  term  we  can  apply 
to  their  exertions,  Mrs.  Shever  dancing  with  her  husband,  who  was  about  as  active  as 
a  half-trained  elephant. 

Jerry  was  in  great  favour.  His  frank  manner  and  amusing  stories  delighted  every 
one :  he  danced  with  all  the  ladies  in  succession,  and  quite  won  the  heart  of  the  oldest 
one  by  asking  her  twice,  although  there  was  little  danger  of  her  accepting  him  the 
second  time,  as  he  had  completely  exhausted  her  for  the  evening  during  the  first ; 
nevertheless,  the  old  lady  was  charmed  with  him,  and  declared  he  was  "quite  a 
-entleman." 

His  best  efforts  were,  however,  reserved  for  his  performance  with  Mary  Ann  and 
his  hostess,  with  whom  he  was,  as  the  boatswain  remarked,  "  as  much  at  home  as  ii 
the  house  belonged  to  him."  He  amused  them  during  the  intervals  of  the  dances  witl 
choice  songs  of  a  pathetic  kind ;  and,  as  he  possessed  a  good  voice  and  style,  the  women 
were  several  times  melted  to  tears. 

About  ten  o'clock  the  hostess  produced  a  steaming  bowl  of  punch,  upon  which  the 
silent  sailors  immediately  woke  up,  and  received  a  liberal  allowance  of  the  liquid. 
Carefully  holding  their  mugs,  as  if  anxious  that  none  of  the  nectar  should  escape 
they  retreated  to  their  corner,  and  two  sponges  could  not  have  absorbed  the  fluid  more 
expeditiously  or  quietly  than  they  did.  After  a  time  they  emerged  from  their  conceal- 
ment, and  finding  no  one  was  looking,  helped  each  other  to  another  dose  of  the  delicious 
beverage,  then  sank  back  into  their  former  retirement,  this  manoeuvre  being  repeated 
several  times  during  the  evening. 

Under  the  influence  of  Mrs.  Shever's  brewing  the  party  had  become  quite  noisy, 
and  Thompson  had  danced  his  last  hornpipe  before  they  found  the  time  had  arrived  to 
separate.  The  boatswain  decided  to  walk  a  short  distance  with  the  seamen  ;  and  Price 
and  Gummings  after  many  declarations  that  "  Misshis  Sheaver  was  a  dutchessh,  and 
Missir  Sheaver  wast'  a  perfetchs  shentleman,  and  they  never  had  enjoyshed  themselves 
so  much  afore,"  were  with  the  assistance  of  Jerry,  at  last  fairly  got  out  of  the  house. 

When  at  some  distance  from  his  residence  the  boatswain  suddenly  stopped,  and 
drawing  forth  his  pipe,  blew  the  well-known  "  pipe  down  ; "  then  assuming  his  naval 
authority,  he  ordered  the  sailors  to  go  their  ways.  Upon  turning  to  speak  to  Jerry, 
with  whom  he  wished  to  have  an  explanation,  he  found  that  individual  had  vanished ; 
thinking  it  might  be  from  fear  of  his  anger,  he  did  not  trouble  himself,  knowing  he 
could  talk  to  him  at  a  future  time,  when  the  sailor  would  be  a  little  more  respectful. 
Mr.  Shever  then  walked  about  with  his  hat  off,  until  his  mind  was  thoroughly  com- 
posed, when  he  retired  to  the  bosom  of  his  family. 

Jerry  had  quietly  returned  to  bid  Mary  Ann  good-bye,  and  entering  the  house, 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE." 


15 


found  the  two  ladies  busily  engaged  in  putting  their  hair  in  paper,  preparatory  to 
retiring  up-stairs. 

"  Law,  Jerry,  how  you  did  frighten  me,"  exclaimed  Mary  Ann. 

As  the  effects  of  love  at  first  sight  were  somewhat  increased  by  the  punch  he  had 
imbibed,  Thompson  was  not  at  all  hurt  at  being  called  Jerry,  but  he  advanced  towards 
the  blushing  maiden,  and  saying  she  looked  like  an  angel,  proceeded  to  kiss  her  in  a 
vigorous  manner. 

"For  shame  !  "  said  the  delighted  girl.     "Have  done  now,  Jerry,  or  I'll  scream." 

"  You  rogue,  you,"  observed  Mrs.  Shever.  "  Why  you'd  kiss  me  if  I  didn't  stop 
you.  I  wish  Shever  would  come  in." 

The  active  sailor  proceeded  at  once  to  demonstrate  his  admiration  of  the  latter 
speaker,  evidently  having  little  fear  of  the  boatswain's  returning  just  then,  and  a  loud 
smack  on  the  face,  administered  "more  in  sorrow  than  in  anger"  announced  the 
completion  of  the  outrage. 

"  There  never  was  such  a  shocking  man,"  giggled  the  matron. 
"  Don't  you  try  it  on  again  ! "  cried  Mary  Ann,  in  a  most  provoking  manner. 

Despite  her  pleading,  Jerry  renewed  his  attention,  and  as  they  parted,  boldly 
declared  that  "  he'd  have  her  if  she'd  have  him." 

Mary  Ann  saw  him  out  of  the  house,  and  as  he  kissed  her  for  the  last  time,  quietly 
murmured,  "  Jerry,  dear,  I'll  marry  you  whenever  you  are  ready." 

Happy  pair !  they  had  now  a  bright  future  to  anticipate  :  both  could  dream  of  it. 
It  was  a  pleasant  and  inexpensive  luxury,  and  about  as  likely  to  be  realized  as  such 
visions  usually  are.  However,  "  they've  done  it  now,"  as  the  boatswain  observed,  when 
his  wife  informed  him  of  the  fact  of  Mary  Ann's  engagement.  "  That's  what  comes  of 
introducing  people  of  low  manners  into  society.  There'll  be  a  '  mess-alliance,'  and  all 
the  parties  will  be  sorry  for  it  when  it's  too  late."  Mr.  Shever  was  evidently  of  opinion 
that  Jerry  was  far  beneath  Mary  Ann's  notice,  and  possibly  forgot  that  when  he  married 
her  sister  he  was  only  what  he  now  termed  a  common  sailor ;  while  his  wife,  seeing  in 
Thompson,  a  good-hearted,  merry  fellow,  woman-like,  favoured  his  suit. 


16  BLUE  JACKETS;  on,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 


CHAPTER  mM 

The  day  after  Clare's  arrest  the  Stinger  was  hauled  out  of  dock,  and  towed  down  to 
Greenhythe,  in  order  to  hoist  in  her  powder  and  heavy  stores.  After  a  few  days'  delay 
she  proceeded  to  the  German  Ocean,  where  she  cruised  about,  while  her  commander 
endeavoured  to  work  the  ship's  company  into  something  like  man-of-war  shape. 

Tom  was  all  this  time  kept  a  close  prisoner  below,  as  he  would  have  to  be  tried  by 
court-martial.  The  ship  being  on  the  Home  Station,  and  immediately  under  the 
Admiralty,  it  would  hardly  do  to  decide  his  case  in  the  usual  style  afloat,  viz.  by  a 
court,  the  judge  and  jury  of  which  are  one  person,  the  captain  of  the  ship.  Com- 
mander Puffeigh  was  annoyed  at  the  trouble  and  delay  that  must  ensue  before  Clare 
could  be  punished,  and  observed  to  Crushe,  "  What  a  pity  it  is  we  have  not  been  sent 
off  to  a  foreign  station  at  once ;  we  could  then  have  settled  that  scoundrel's  business 
in  ten  minutes,  without  the  fuss  and  worry  of  a  court-martial." 

One  morning,  when  the  crew  were  at  breakfast,  Clare  was  paraded  on  the  quarter- 
deck, and  Captain  Puffeigh  heard  the  preliminary  evidence  against  him,  which  was 
duly  taken  down  by  the  ship's  clerk,  and  on  that  statement  a  court-martial  was  applied 
for,  and  granted  on  the  ship's  return  to  England.  When  Tom  came  on  deck  he  looked 
careworn  and  pale  ;  but  seeing  Mr.  Cravan,  his  face  flushed.  This  was  noticed  by  the 
captain,  who  observed  to  the  first  lieutenant  that  "  the  fellow  was  case-hardened,"  an 
opinion  which  Crushe  at  once  confirmed. 

Mr.  Cravan  gave  hia  evidence,  which  was  duly  recorded  by  the  clerk,  and  then 
Crushe  charged  Clare  with  having  used  mutinous  language  to  him  before  his  arrest. 
Everything  that  could  be  brought  against  the  man  was  stated  in  the  report,  which,  on 
being  completed,  was  read  over  to  the  prisoner,  who  was  then  asked  if  he  had  anything 
to  say. 

Tom  looked  at  the  commander  with  astonishment,  and  replied. 

"  Captain,  one  half  of  that  'ere  writing  aint  true,  and  the  other  is  exaggerated  out  of 
all  shape." 

Upon  hearing  this  bold  statement,  the  gallant  Puffeigh  at  once  cried,  "  Silence  ! 
you  mutinous  fellow ;  that's  enough.  I  hope  you  will  get  your  deserts  on  our  return  to 
England.  If  I  had  my  will,  I'd  hang  all  such  as  you  !  " 

Clare  was  then  taken  below  again,  and  put  in  irons. 

The  Stinger  continued  her  cruise,  until  her  commander  had  what  he  termed  "  toned 
his  crew  down."  In  this  artistic  occupation  he  found  a  valuable  ally  in  Crushe,  who 
gave  full  vent  to  his  cowardly  nature,  and  proved  himself  a  bully  of  the  first  water. 
Suffice  it  to  say,  by  the  time  the  ship  reached  Portsmouth  the  first  lieutenant  was 
detested  by  nearly  all  the  officers,  and  thoroughly  feared  and  hated  by  the  whole 
of  the  crew. 

On  her  arrival  in  port,  the  ship  was  at  once  docked,  and  Clare  sent  on  board  the 
flag-ship  Victory,  where  he  was  very  fairly  treated,  as  her  commander  did  not  understand 
that  the  man  should  be  considered  a  felon  until  he  was  tried  and  convicted. 

Polly  came  off  to  the  ship,  and  was  allowed  to  spend  a  few  moments  with  him,  in 
the  presence  of  the  master-at-arms.  Tom  saw,  with  sorrow,  that  his  situation  and 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      IT 

their  separation  were  telling  fearfully  on  his  wife's  health ;  he  tried  to  cheer  her  up, 
and  even  joked  about  his  prospects,  but  without  avail,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  she 
could  repress  her  feelings. 

His  wife  used  every  argument  she  could  think  of  to  induce  him  to  accept  a  lawyer's 
services  for  his  defence,  but  he  would  not  consent  to  it,  saying,  "  I'll  stand  up  and  tell 
'em  what  I  did,  and  own  what  was  wrong.  If  so  be  they  turn  agin  my  true  defence, 
they  wont  believe  the  lies  of  a  long-shore  lawyer." 

Like  many  other  sailors,  the  unfortunate  fellow  had  a  dread  of  the  legal  profession ; 
and  trusting  to  the  mercy  of  the  court,  and  the  facts  of  the  case  coming  out  on  his 
trial,  determined  to  defend  himself. 

Clare's  friends  also  urged  him  to  alter  his  determination,  but  in  vain ;  and  with 
great  reluctance  they  gave  up  their  pleading,  and  were  compelled  to  abandon  him  to 
his  own  resources. 

There  was  great  excitement  on  the  Common  Hard  at  Portsmouth,  on  the  morning 
when  the  signal  gun  from  the  Victory  announced  the  holding  of  a  court-martial  on 
Clare's  case.  Crowds  of  what  are  termed  "  the  lower  orders"  were  assembled  all  along 
the  portion  of  the  Hard  off  which  the  flag-ship  was  moored,  their  object  being  to 
witness  the  embarkation  of  the  officers  of  the  court,  who  were  to  be  conveyed  on  board 
in  boats  specially  detailed  for  the  duty.  Every  one  was  in  full  dress,  and  the  hand- 
some blue  and  gold  uniforms  of  the  officers  contrasted  strongly  with  the  squalid 
appearance  of  the  crowd  who  swarmed  around  them. 

As  each  member  of  the  court  left  his  carriage  at  the  end  of  the  wharf,  he  found,  to 
his  disgust,  that  he  had  to  walk  between  a  line  of  these  "  lower  orders,"  who,  unabashed 
by  his  grand  air  and  dazzling  uniform,  passed  remarks  upon  any  one  who  happened  to 
be  unpopular,  in  a  manner  more  free  than  pleasant.  Not  having  any  fear  of  the  lash, 
they  gave  their  thoughts  free  vent. 

"  There  goes  lanky  Jack,  who  flogged  a  boat's  crew  because  his  wife  ran  away  with 
a  sojer  officer,"  screamed  a  woman  in  the  crowd,  as  Captain  Curt,  a  well-known  advocate 
for  the  lash,  walked  down  and  entered  the  boat. 

"  Lord  help  Tom  Clare  if  there's  many  more  like  him  in  the  court,"  said  another 
lady. 

Some  commanders  were  more  popular,  particularly  with  the  Irish  women,  who 
formed  no  small  part  of  the  crowd  ;  and  gratuitous  advice,  such  as,  "  Be  aisy  wid  the 
poor  boy,  captain,  aroon,"  or,  "  Say  a  good  word  for  poor  Tom,  for  the  love  of  the 
mother  of  yez,"  were  freely  offered  on  all  sides. 

The  spectators  up  to  this  time  were,  excepting  in  their  observations,  tolerably  quiet. 
But  when  Commander  Puffeigh,  Lieutenant  Crushe,  Mr.  Cravan,  Mr.  Shever,  and  the 
other  witnesses,  came  down  to  the  wharf,  a  loud  yell  of  hatred  broke  from  the  people, 
and  several  stones  were  thrown  at  the  officers.  Unfortunately  on  their  arrival  at  the 
end  of  the  pier,  they  found  no  boat  to  receive  them,  and  for  ten  minutes  had  to  bear 
the  insults  of  the  mob. 

Puffeigh  was  resplendent  in  a  bran  new  uniform,  which  fitted  him  like  a  tight  pair 
of  boots ;  in  fact,  he  was  so  well  tailored,  that  he  could  scarcely  breathe. 
"  Isn't  that  a  picture  for  a  tax-payer  ?  "  cried  a  voice. 
"  I  say,  don't  Puffeigh  look  like  old  Stiff  the  beadle  this  morning  ?  " 
"  That  long  beast  of  a  lieutenant  is  the  cove  wot  drove  Tom  to  desert,"  roared  a 
costermonger.     Upon  which  a  policeman  who  was  near  tried  to  arrest  him,  but  he  waa 
hustled  away  from  his  grasp,  and  the  man  escaped. 

At  this  moment  a  stone,  thrown  by  some  one  at  the  back  of  the  crowd,  struck  Crushe 
on  the  cheek.  Turning  round,  his.  face  livid  with  rage,  he  found  himself  confronted 

2 


18  BLUE   JACKETS  J    OK,    THE    ADVENTURES    OF 

by  an  amazon,  who  coolly  putting  her  arms  akimbo,  sneeringly  asked  him  "  if  he  would 
like  to  strike  a  woman  ?  " 

Shever,  who  knew  the  lady,  thinking  to  curry  favour,  turned  to  her  and  said  sharply, 
"  I'm  surprised  at  you,  Mrs.  Hollo  way." 

"  Keep  your  breath  for  lying  at  the  court-martial,  and  dry  up,  or  I'll  serve  you  as 
your  wife  does,"  retorted  the  dame. 

Mr.  Shever  looked  at  her  fiercely  for  a  moment ;  then,  probably  thinking  she  might 
slap  his  face  if  he  gazed  too  intently  on  her,  turned  away,  and  embarked  with  the 
officers  in  a  boat,  which  had  at  that  moment  opportunely  arrived  from  the  Victory. 

The  mob  yelled  and  screamed  like  demons,  and  several  stray  stones  and  oyster- 
shells  went  flying  after  the  boat.  The  captain,  imagining  these  favours  were  from 
Clare's  friends,  expressed  his  opinion  that  "  he  trusted  all  present  would  endeavour  to 
get  Tom  what  he  deserved  ; "  a  gentle  hint,  which  was  not  lost  upon  Shever  and  the 
sailors  who  were  going  on  board  as  witnesses.  On  arrival  alongside  the  flag-ship, 
Captain  Puffeigh  was  received  with  naval  honours,  ending  with  a  doleful  wail  on  the 
boatswain's  pipe.  Fortified  by  this,  and  feeling  once  more  safe,  he  reported  himself  to 
the  officer  of  the  court.  The  proceedings  immediately  commenced,  Puffeigh's  clerk 
first  identifying  Clare  as  belonging  to  the  Stinger,  his  name  being  upon  the  ship's 
books.  It  was  noticed  by  the  spectators  that  the  prisoner  wore  two  war  medals,  and 
the  Royal  Humane  Society's  medal. 

Then  followed  the  examination  of  the  witnesses  for  the  prosecution,  all  of  whom  had 
been  already  primed  as  to  their  evidence  by  Captain  Puffeigh,  who  as  is  usual,  acted 
the  part  of  prosecutor. 

The  court  was  composed  of  naval  officers  of  rank,  and  undoubtedly  was  a  fair 
tribunal,  if  we  could  shut  our  eyes  to  the  fact  that  many  of  them  had  been  brought 
up  in  a  school  which  denied  a  blue  jacket  the  common  rights  possessed  by  the  most 
wretched  outcast  on  shore.  The  president  was  an  old  and  feeble  officer,  who  thought 
the  whole  affair  a  bore,  and  he  remarked  to  another  veteran, 

"  Ah  !  formerly  every  commander  tried  his  own  men,  unless  in  very  extraordinary 
cases,  and  we  got  on  well  enough.  Now  every  fellow  who  requires  the  lash  must  be 
tried  by  a  court-martial  if  the  ship  is  in  a  port  or  near  a  flag-ship.  The  service  is 
going  to  the  deuce." 

Lieutenant  Crushe  was  the  first  witness  called ;  and  his  deposition  which  was  taken 
down  in  writing  by  the  Judge  advocate,  was  in  substance  as  follows,  Captain  Puffeigh 
being  allowed  to  put  a  most  unwarrantable  amount  of  leading  questions. 

Having  deposed  that  he  was  first  lieutenant  of  the  Stinger,  and  identified  the 
prisoner  as  an  able  seaman,  belonging  to  her,  the  following  questions  were  asked  by 
the  prosecutor : 

"  You  know  the  prisoner  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

'•  About  what  length  of  time  ?  " 

"  About  four  years.     He  served  with  me  in  my  last  ship." 

"  Has  his  character  been  good,  or  bad  ?  " 

"  Unquestionably  bad.     But  he  is  a  good  seaman,  and  knows  his  duty." 

"  You  had  to  find  fault  with  him  soon  after  he  was  drafted  to  the  ship  ?  State  to 
the  court  what  then  occurred." 

"I  was  obliged  to  stop  his  leave  for  insolence,  the  very  day  he  joined  the  Stinger; 
and  though  I  spoke  kindly  to  him,  he  continued  this  line  of  conduct,  barely  doing  the 
•work  he  was  appointed  to,  and  that  in  a  sullen,  disrespectful  manner." 

"  He  deserted  from  the  Stinger,  did  he  not  ?  " 

"  He  did." 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."       19 

"  Knowing  his  chara^  *r,  you  were  obliged  to  send  a  strong  force  to  bring  him  on 
board,  were  you  not  ?  " 

"  Yes.  I  sent  an  armed  party  of  marines,  as  I  was  aware  that,  being  a  desperate 
man,  he  would  offer  resistance." 

"  Where  was  ho  found  secreted  by  the  non-commissioned  officer  ?  " 
Here  the  president  assumed  a  grave  air  and  informed  PufFeigh  that  he  could  not  put 
the  last  question,  as  Lieutenant  Crushe  could  not  testify  to  hearsay.     The  examination 
then  proceeded. 

"  You  had  other  reasons  for  sending  an  armed  party  to  secure  the  prisoner  ?  Please 
state  them." 

"  Yes.     I  was  aware  that  he  consorted  with  people  of  the  worst  character." 

"  Some  of  them  had  visited  him  on  board  the  Stinger,  I  believe.  State  if  that 
be  so." 

"  Yes,  a  young  woman,  whose  conduct  while  on  board  led  me  to  suppose  that  she 
had  come  for  no  good.  She  came  down  with  some  of  the  worst  characters  in  "Woolwich. 
He  was  afterwards  arrested  in  her  company." 

When  Crushe  stated  that  the  man  was  arrested  in  the  company  of  bad  people,  Clare 
bit  his  lips,  and  tried  to  address  the  court,  when  he  was  informed  that  "he 
would  have  an  opportunity  of  asking  questions  at  a  later  period,  but  at  present  he 
must  remain  silent." 

Upon  receiving  this  rebuke  his  face  flushed  with  shame,  seeing  which,  the  members 
of  the  court,  who  took  it  for  a  sign  of  passion  and  rebellion,  looked  at  each  other,  as 
much  as  to  say,  "  See  what  a  ruffian  the  prisoner  is." 

The  corporal  was  the  next  witness.  With  a  military  salute  that  concise  individual 
stated  his  name  and  rank,  and  was  thus  examined  by  Puffeigh. 

' '  You  received  orders  to  arrest  the  prisoner,  and  take  a  strongly-armed  party  with 
you  ?  " 

"  I  did  "  (with  a  salute). 

"State  to  the  court  what  occurred  on  that  occasion." 

(Saluting)  "  Well,  sir,  you  see,  being  a  corporal  of  the  Rile  Marine  division  at 
Woolwich,  I  knowed  that  where  the  prisoner  wor  a  hiding  wor  a  werry  bad  place,  so  I 
went  prepared." 

"  The  prisoner  showed  a  determined  resistance,  I  understand  ?  In  fact  nearly  killed 
you." 

(Saluting)  "  That  he  did,  sir,  and  the  other  willings  with  him," 

"  There  were  women  in  the  house  ?  " 

(Saluting)  "  Yes,  sir,  a  regler  bad  lot — speshilly  one  on  them — his  gal,  who  used 
awful  langevage.  I  were  expostulatin'  with  her  about  it  in  a  werry  perlite  manner, 
ven  the  prisoner  sudden  seized  me  by  the  stock,  my  back  being  turned  to  him,  and 
would  have  killed  me  but  for  my  men." 

(President)  "  How  many  men  had  you?" 

(Saluting)  "Twenty." 

"  All  armed  ?  " 

(Saluting)  "Yes,  sir." 

(Puffeigh)  "  Do  you  know  any  reason  for  the  prisoner's  attack  upon  you  ?  " 

"  None  in  the  verld,  sir." 

Here  Tom  Clare's  face  flushed  again,  but  remembering  the  hint  h'e  had  shortly  before 
received,  he  held  his  peace. 

The  next  witness  called  was  Cravan,  who,  after  the  usual  preliminary  question,  thus 
testified — 


20  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

"  You  were  the  officer  of  the  watch  when  the  prisoner  was  brought  on  board  as  a 
deserter  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  being  kindly  disposed  towards  the  man,  I  expressed  my  regret  at  seeing 
him  in  such  a  position." 

"  What  then  occurred  ?  " 

"He  struck  me  a  violent  blow  with  his  clenched  hands,  injuring  me  severely." 

(President)  "  And  this  without  any  provocation  on  your  part  '<  " 

"  Yes.     I  had  spoken  to  him  in  the  mildest  manner." 

"  Can  you  in  any  way  account  for  this  conduct ;  was  the  man  drunk  ?  " 

"  No,  sir  ;  I  believe  it  was  premeditated." 

Here  Tom  could  restrain  his  feelings  no  longer,  but  exclaimed, 

"  It  ain't  true,  gentlemen  ;  he's  swearing  away  my  life." 

Having  been  with  difficulty  quieted,  he  was  asked  if  he  had  any  questions  to  put, 
but  Clare  declined  to  cross-examine  witnesses,  whom  he  had  heard  boldly  perjuring 
themselves,  and  who  were  encouraged,  and  evidently  instructed  what  to  say,  by  Captain 
Puffeigh. 

Price  and  Gummings  were  next  called,  their  testimony  going  to  show  that  Clare 
had  told  them  "  he'd  run  away  as  soon  as  he  could  get  a  chance ;  "  that  his  language 
was  mutinous  ;  and  that  he  had  declared  his  intention  "of  dropping  a  marlin  spike  on 
Lieutenant  Crushe's  head  when  he  got  a  chance."  Price  swearing  he  had  said  that  "  it 
would  be  a  first  rate  end  for  the  brute,"  meaning  the  firsjt  lieutenant.  "  He  said  it 
would  be  considered  justifiable  homicide,  or  words  to  that  effect;"  and  that  when  the 
witness  asked  him  "  if  he  wished  to  be  hanged,"  the  prisoner  had  laughed  and  said, 
"  he  would  be  let  off."  Both  witnesses  hypocritically  tried  to  put  in  some  words  of 
condolence  for  their  "  unfortinit  shipmate,"  but  were  silenced  by  the  court. 

"  Mr.  Shever,  the  boatswain,  was  then  examined  by  Captain  Puffeigh.  After  the 
warrant-officer  had  corroborated  the  other  evidence,  the  examination  proceeded  as 
follows : 

"  Have  you  any  idea  what  led  the  prisoner  to  desert  ?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  but  I  thought,  from  the  first  day  he  jined  the  Stinger,  that  he  would 
desert  whenever  he  got  the  chance." 

"  "What  led  you  to  suppose  so  ?" 

"  Well,  sir,  you  see  he  belongs  to  a  low  lot,  and  wor  always  that  mutinous 
and  discontented.  He  is  one  of  them  as  is  always  speakin'  about  rights.  I  could  make 
no  good  on  him,  although  he's  a  fust-rate  sailor." 

"  The  prisoner  gave  you  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  did  he  not,  Mr.  Shever  r  " 

"Yes,  sir;  and  when  he  left  I  missed  a  palm  and  needle,  which  some  woman  has 
since  brought  aboard,  and  left  in  my  cabin." 

The  president  here  again  interfered,  as  the  examination  had  been  allowed  to  stray 
from  the  charges  upon  which  Clare  was  being  tried. 

Puffeigh  then  said  there  were  some  questions  he  would  like  to  submit  to  the 
president  and  court,  which,  though  they  did  not  bear  on  the  charges  upon  which  the 
prisoner  was  being  tried,  certainly  would  have  some  effect  upon  the  sentence  of  the 
Honorable  Court,  should  they  find  the  prisoner  guilty 

The  court  was  then  cleared,  and  after  some  time,  it  being  again  opened,  the 
president  informed  Captain  Puffeigh  that  the  questions  could  be  put. 

'•  Are  you  aware,  Mr.  Shever,  who  the  mob  were  who  insulted  myself  and  my 
officers  coming  aboard  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  they  wos  friends  of  the  prisoner's.  (Sensation  in  the  court.)  I  believe 
one  on  'em  wos  his  mother."  (Great  sensation.) 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATH  EX  CHIXEE."       21 

"  State  to  the  court  the  treatment  we  received."  • 

"  They  throwed  stones  at  us  and  dirt,  and  cut  the  first  lieutenant's  face  with  a  large 
flint.  (Immense  sensation  in  the  court.)  They  also  mobbed  us  down,  and  abused  us 
shameful." 

Mr.  Shever  then  went  on  to  state  that  he  had  often  heard  the  prisoner  say  "  that  he 
would  be  cautious  what  he  did."  This  the  worthy  boatswain  construed  into  a  threat 
against  the  first  lieutenant.  "  He  considered  Clare  a  dangerous  man.  Never  had  seen 
him  drunk,  but  believed  he  drank  considerable  when  he  had  a  chance." 

"We  must  observe,  with  regret,  that  the  foregoing  evidence  of  the  boatswain  was 
entirely  fictitious  in  its  most  important  portions ;  in  fact,  Mr.  Shever  did  on  that 
occasion  commit  what  is  commonly  called  perjury,  and  the  evidence  of  the  seamen  was 
very  much  of  the  same  unblushing  kind.  The  boatswain  knew  that  if  the  lieutenant 
could  trust  him,  and  depend  upon  him  to  say  anything  that  would  carry  out  his  plans, 
he  could  do  pretty  much  as  he  liked  with  the  men,  who  would  not  dare  to  complain  of 
his  treatment.  His  first  officer  was  his  model ;  and  being  somewhat  of  a  cur,  he  did 
not  mind  swearing  to  any  falsehood  that  would  injure  Tom,  provided  he  could  curry 
favour  with  his  superiors. 

The  prisoner  was  then  asked  if  he  had  any  questions  to  put  to  the  witnesses,  upon 
which  he  replied, 

"  No,  your  honour.     I've  heard  'em  say  too  much  already." 

This  answer  was  looked  upon  by  the  court  as  evidence  of  the  man's  mutinous  and 
dangerous  disposition,  it  being,  of  course,  entirely  misconstrued. 

Clare  was  then  called  upon  for  his  defence.  Usually  when  a  sailor  is  tried  this  is 
prepared  for  him  in  writing  by  his  counsel,  and  handed  to  the  Judge  advocate,  who 
reads  it  to  the  court ;  but  Clare  availed'  himself  of  the  privilege  of  reading  his  own 
defence,  and  standing  up  with  his  earnest  face  fixed  upon  the  president,  he  spoke  as 
follows,  having  committed  what  he  had  written  to  memory  : 

"  Your  honors  and  gentlemen,  I  bows  to  you  respectfully  and  begs  to  be  allowed  to 
say  a  few  words  in  defence  of  this  'ere  crime.  I  was  drove  to  desert,  regler 
drove,  your  honors.  I  jined  my  ship,  intendin'  to  serve  out  my  time,  and  if  needs  be, 
fight  agin  the  Roosians,  and  give  my  life  for  my  country.  But  that  was  not 
to  be.  Lieutenant  Crushe  drove  me  to  desert ;  'twas  him  wot  hounded  me  on,  and 
him  wot  caused  me  to  be  here  this  day  a  prisoner.  Your  honors,  I  could  stand  it  no 
longer.  I  have  a  wife — a  good  gal — not  a  common  gal — I  love  her,  and  I  wanted  to  see 
her.  Yet,  gentlemen,  knowin'  that,  and  probable  that  if  we  went  on  a  furrin  station  I 
might  never  see  my  wife  again,  Liutenant  Crushe  deliberate  stopped  my  leave,  and 
hounded  me  on  to  desert.  Says  he  to  me  one  day,  "  I'll  give  you  a  flakin',  as  soon  as  I 
gets  you  into  blue  water,"  or  words  to  that  effect,  and  then  I  took  it  into  my  mind  to 
escape,  and  not  afore  that  time.  I  throws  myself  on  the  mercy  of  the  court,  with 
regard  to  striking  Mr.  Cravan.  Your  honours,  I  love  my  wife.  You,  surely,  who  are 
married  love  your  wives,  although  I  suppose  you  may  think  a  sailor  can't  love  as  you 
does.  I  love  my  poor  girl,  and  they  have  called  her  vile  names,  and  said  she  used  bad 
language.  Gentlemen,  that's  false !  Prisoner  as  I  am,  and  at  your  mercy,  I  say  that  is  a 
lie ;  she  never  uttered  a  bad  word  in  her  life.  Allow  /  am  bad — a  mutineer — a 
deserter.  I  won't  defend  myself  agin  all  that ;  but  I  can't  hear  them  lies,  and  not  say  a 
word.  If  I  am  wrong,  I  begs  your  honors'  pardon,  but  let  my  wife  be  cleared  from  such 
falsehoods?  I  struck  Mister  Cravan  because  he  spoke  of  my  wife  as  I  would  not,  and 
could  not  bear  to  hear  her  spoken  of.  I  was  mad,  possibly  ;  but  I  am  sorry,  and  pleads 
guilty,  gentlemen,  and  throws  myself  upon  the  mercy  of  the  court,  who  I  beg  will  look 


22  BLUE   JACKETS  ;     UK,    THE    ADVEXTUKE8    OF 

over  my  discharge  papens  from  eleven  of  Her  Majesty's  ships,  in  all  of  which  my 
character  stands  "  very  good. " 

Clare  warmed  in  his  defence  when  he  spoke  about  his  wife,  until  he  no  longer 
looked  the  prisoner.  He  uttered  every  word  with  a  peculiarly  expressive  manner, 
which  Avould  have  moved  the  hearts  of  most  men.  But  the  officers  who  composed  the 
court  heard  only  in  his  speech  the  words  of  mutiny  and  sedition.  As  to  his  love  for 
the  woman  he  called  his  wife,  that  was  to  them  a  subject  of  the  most  sublime 
indifference.  During  his  defence,  eloquent  in  its  na'ive  pathos,  few  of  them  really 
appeared  to  be  listening  to  him.  One  dozed  as  if  half  asleep,  and  another  read  a  letter, 
while  others  again  Avrote  their  opinions  on  certain  passages  of  his  speech,  and  pushed 
the  scraps  of  paper  across  to  their  opposite  neighbours. 

When  Clare  ceased  speaking,  he  bo^ed  respectfully  to  the  court ;  then  having 
signed  his  defence,  handed  the  paper  to  the  Judge-advocate,  after  which  the  court  was 
cleared  for  deliberation. 

The  members  having  consulted  for  a  few  moments,  now  resumed  their  cocked 
hats,  which  up  to  that  time  had  reposed  upon  the  table  before  them,  and  thus  decorated, 
in  grim  silence,  awaited  the  arrival  of  the  prisoner,  who  was  shortly  afterwards 
brought  in. 

The  Judge-advocate  then  read  the  finding  of  the  court,  which  declared  him  guilty 
on  both  charges, — first  of  "  desertion,"  and  secondly  of  "  striking  his  superior  officer," 
and  the  sentence  of  death  was  passed  upon  him  for  the  latter  offence.  But  in  considera- 
tion of  his  former  services  and  the  very  good  certificates  of  character  produced  by  him, 
the  court  mercifully  commuted  the  sentence  of  death,  and  awarded  the  punishment  of 
flogging.  He  would  be  taken  on  board  H.M.S.  Stinger  and  kept  in  irons  until  the  day 
Commander  Puffeigh  fixed  upon  as  being  most  convenient  for  the  execution  of  his 
sentence,  which  was,  "  that  he  should  receive  upon  his  bare  back  fifty  lashes  with  the 
cat-o'-nine-tails." 

The  prisoner,  who  seemed  quite  overcome  by  the  sentence,  was  then  taken  away  and 
sent  on  board  his  ship,  to  be  closely  guarded  and  heavily  ironed  until  the  sentence  was 
carried  out.  As  he  left  the  Victory  many  of  her  crew  who  had  been  his  shipmates 
cast  pitying  looks  upon  him  but  not  one  of  them  dared  openly  to  express  his 
opinion. 

Clare  saw  wife  for  one  moment,  as  he  was  entering  the  dock-yard  on  his  way  to 
the  ship,  and  upon  being  allowed  to  speak,  told  her  "  to  bear  up,  as  his  punishment 
would  soon  be  over,  and  it  was  lighter  than  he  expected,"  &c.,  &c.  In  fact,  he  said  all 
he  could  to  cheer  her.  Polly,  who  had  thrown  her  arms  around  his  neck,  was  then 
torn  from  him  by  the  police,  who  would  not  allow  her  to  enter  the  dock  gate  with  the 
prisoner  ;  and  when  Tom  saw  her  for  the  List  time,  she  was  being  carried  away  by  her 
grief-stricken  father,  in  whose  arms  she  had  fainted. 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."       23 


CHAPTEK  IV. 

LIEUTENANT  CRUSHE  gave  the  crew  to  understand  that  in  future  only  those  men 
who  pleased  him  would  be  allowed  leave  to  go  on  shore,  consequently  the  "  liberty 
list"  of  H.M.S.  Stinger  was  a  short  one. 

As  the  time  drew  near  for  leaving  the  dock,  the  number  of  favored  ones  grew  less 
every  day,  few  being  bold  enough  to  go  aft  and  face  the  lieutenant  for  the  purpose  of 
asking  leave  of  absence.  However,  Thompson  who  was  not  afraid  of  Crushe,  deter- 
mined to  try  what  he  could  do ;  and  one  evening  he,  with  two  other  seamen,  walked 
aft,  stood  between  two  guns  on  the  port  side  of  the  quarter-deck,  and  waited  patiently 
until  that  gallant  officer  condescended  to  notice  them.  After  keeping  the  men  for  some 
time  in  a  pleasant  state  of  expectation,  Crushe  suddenly  seemed  aware  of  their 
presence,  and  with  a  ghastly  twist  of  his  visage,  which  he  intended  for  a  grin,  asked 
the  sailors  "  if  they  wanted  four  dozen  a-piece  ?  if  not,  they  had  better  go  forward." 

"  Please,  sir,"  pleaded  one  of  the  men,  "  may  I  go  on  shore  ?  " 

"  What  for  ?  "  demanded  the  bully. 

"  My  little  gal  is  sick,"  said  the  sailor. 

"  Come,  my  fine  fellow,  that  won't  do.     Go  forward,  and  tell  that  to  the  marines." 

The  man  addressed  slunk  away  like  a  beaten  hound.  It  was  true  his  child  was  ill, 
but  he  was  obnoxious  to  Crushe,  so  he  contented  himself  with  vowing  vengeance,  and 
on  going  forward  procured  some  rank  poison  in  ftie  shape  of  gin,  which  he  forthwith 
imbibed,  and  went  to  sleep.  His  little  girl  died  during  the  night.  The  poor  mother 
wondered  why  father  did  not  come  home  ;  and  it  was  a  bitter  grief  to  her,  upon  visiting 
the  ship  the  next  morning,  to  find  her  husband  under  punishment  for  being  intoxicated 
the  night  before. 

"  Tell  him  I'm  ashamed  of  him  !  and  little  Carrie  so  bad ! "  said  the  indignant 
woman  to  the  ship's  corporal,  who  had  informed  her  of  her  husband's  disgrace.  "  Tell 
him  the  dear  little  angel  cried  for  him  till  she  got  too  weak,  and  wanted  so  to  see  him 
before  she  died ;  and,"  added  the  poor  creature,  in  a  low,  dreamy  voice,  "he  drunk  when 
he  ought  to  have  been  with  her  !  " 

Bursting  into  tears,  the  desolate  mother  was  led  away  by  a  sympathizing  spectator, 
to  ponder  over  what  she  thought  her  husband's  brutality. 

When  the  news  was  given  him  by  the  callous  ship's  corporal,  that  "  his  kid  was 
dead,"  the  man,  who  was  not  perfectly  sober,  smiled  and  said,  "  Thank  God !  she  is 
now  better  off ;  "  then,  crouching  down,  with  his  hands  tightly  pressed  to  his  forehead, 
wept  bitterly. 

But  we  must  return  to  the  sailors  whom  we  left  standing  before  the  lieutenant  on 
the  quarter-deck. 

"  What  do  you  want  leave  for  ?  "  demanded  Crushe,  as  Jerry,  with  his  face  elongated 
in  a  most  doleful  way,  touched  his  forelock  to  attract  the  officer's  attention. 

"  Leave  to  visit  my  widowed  mother,  who  is  werry  ill,"  replied  the  scamp. 

As  he  said  this,  his  visage  relaxed  for  a  moment,  and  in  his  endeavour  to  work  it 
back  into  a  solemn  cast,  he  presented  such  a  serio-comic  appearance,  that  the  lieutenant 
laughed  outright ;  and  telling  the  impudent  fellow  to  go  on  shore  and  be  hanged  to 
him,  turned  to  the  other  sailor, *to  whom  he  granted  the  same  privilege. 


24  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

Of  cour«e  the  illness  of  Jerry's  mother  existed  only  in  his  fertile  imagination,  and 
he  afterwards  remarked  to  the  boatswain  that  he  had  obtained  leave  through  a  pious 
fraud,  which  he  trusted  would  not  be  chalked  down  agin  him  up  aloft. 

Since  the  night  of  the  memorable  tea-party  at  her  sister's,  Mary  Ann  had 
become  the  lady's-maid  of  Mrs.  Captain  Puffeigh,  who  was  residing  with  a  relative  at 
Portsea,  near  Portsmouth.  Thompson  heard  the  ship  was  to  be  sent  to  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  and  determined  to  say  good-bye  to  his  lady-love,  who  had  written  to  inform 
him,  "  the  captain  and  ladies  would  be  absent  from  home  that  evening,  and  if  he  did 
not  come  and  see  her,  she  would  forever  discard  him." 

After  rigging  himself  in  his  best  suit,  he  was,  with  the  other  sailor,  paraded  before 

first  lieutenant,  who  gave  them  the  comforting  assurance  that  if  they  were  not  on 
board  by  six  o'clock  the  following  morning,  they  would  both  be  looked  upon  as  deserters, 
then  allowed  them  to  depart,  the  ship's  corporal  passing  them  through  the  dock  gates. 
Jerry  now  wished  to  get  rid  of  his  companion,  who,  on  his  part  seemed  determined  to 
stick  by  him,  in  spite  of  hints,  and  even  of  the  pointed  remark  "that  his  absence  would 
not  be  felt."  At  last,  being  semewhat  annoyed  by  the  patient  way  in  which  his  com- 
panion took  his  rebuffs,  Thompson  suddenly  stopped  before  the  door  of  a  private 
residence,  and  taking  the  bell-handle,  as  if  about  to  ring,  told  his  shipmate  "  that  his 
mother  was  in  there  dangerously  ill,"  and  curtly  bade  him  good-night. 

"When  the  man  was  out  of  sight,  Jerry  pulled  forth  a  small  bag,  suspended  by  a 
string  around  his  neck,  and  took  from  it  a  black  ribbon,  which  had  formerly  encircled 
the  slender  waist  of  Mary  Ann.  He  first  looked  round  in  order  to  ascertain  if  any  one 
was  watching  him,  when,  noticing  a  smartly-dressed  girl  at  an  attic  window,  he  waved 
the  belt  triumphantly  towards  her,  and  then  pressed  it  to  his  heart.  The  damsel 
affected  the  greatest  indignation,  though  in  reality  she  was  highly  delighted  with  his 
impudent  manner,  and  giving  him  several  scornful  and  withering  glances,  intended  as 
"  finishers,"  withdrew  behind  the  curtain,  through  a  hole  in  which  she  watched  him, 
wishing  all  the  while  "  that  heaven  had  made  her  such  a  man." 

He  pulled  off  his  hat,  removed  a  ribbon,  bearing  in  letters  of  gold  the  word 
"  Stinger,"  and  tied  Mary  Ann's  gift  in  its  place ;  or,  as  he  termed  it  "  flew  her  pennant." 
This,  also,  prevented  any  one  knowing  the  name  of  his  ship,  and  subsequent  events 
proved  the  wisdom  of  the  precaution  With  a  true  nautical  twist,  he  jerked  the  hat 
upon  the  back  of  his  head,  then  blowing  a  few  sounding  kisses  in  the  direction  of  the 
hidden  one,  shaped  his  course  for  Portsea. 

Being  on  a  mission  of  love,  he  steered  clear  of  refreshment  bars  and  other  allure- 
ments, liquid  and  solid,  vowing  "  not  to  touch  a  drop  of  beer  until  he  received  the  same 
from  the  hands  of  his  own  Mary  Ann ; "  but  alas  !  poor  human  nature, — at  the  first 
temptation  he  gave  in. 

Upon  being  so  pointedly  cut,  the  sailor  who  accompanied  Jerry  on  shore  left  him 
with  the  full  determination  of  finding  a  kindred  spirit ;  but  not  meeting  one,  retraced 
his  steps,  and,  as  a  matter  of  course,  came  full  tilt  upon  his  shipmate.  Here  was  a  fix 
for  the  latter.  If  he  ran,  the  sailor  would  give  chase  ;  if  he  put  on  a  bold  face  and 
spoke  to  him,  drink  he  must ;  he  dare  not  refuse  if  invited,  and  he  knew  he  would  be 
asked. 

As  the  men  approached,  Thompson  assumed  an  appearance  of  the  deepest  dejection, 
winking  very  hard,  as  if  to  keep  back  the  tears,  and  with  his  lips  trembling  and 
working  like  those  of  a  person  who  endeavours  to  be  calm  while  suffering  great  agony, 
he  walked  slowly  until  they  were  face  to  face. 

The  sailor  not  being  very  sober,  was  quite  taken  aback  ;  and  speech  for  the  moment 
failing  him,  contented  himself  with  grasping  his  shipmate's  hand  and  gazing  profoundly 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      25 

in  his  face.  Hereupon  Jerry  pulled  from  his  pocket  an  article,  which  at  first  glance 
might  have  been  taken  for  a  small  sail,  but  was  in  reality  a  genuine  bandana  handker- 
chief. "With  this  he  slowly  rubbed  his  eyes,  until  his  friend  became  a  little  more 
coherent. 

"  Whatsh  the  mattersh,  Jerry  ?  " 

"  Mother's  gone  off  the  hooks." 

"  What !  dead,  d-e-d  ?  "  spelt  the  man,  as  if  to  make  quite  sure. 

"  Made  sail  about  an  hour  ago,"  said  Jerry,  again  burying  his  face  in  the  bandana. 

The  sympathetic  tar  took  his  friend  by  the  sleeve  and  led  him  into  the  nearest 
public-house,  where,  calling  for  two  tankards  of  half  and  half,  he  placed  one  before  his 
mate,  and  took  the  other  himself ;  remarking  as  he  did  so,  that  "  as  they  could  not 
bring  the  old  woman  to  life  again,  he'd  wish  her  every  happiness  and  prosperity." 

The  position  was  a  very  trying  one  for  Jerry,  the  liquor  being  cool  and  tempting, 
but — he  had  made  a  vow. 

"  Did  the  old  woman  get  under  weigh  sudden  ?  "  said  the  convivial  one. 

Fixing  his  eyes  upon  his  interrogator,  and  mechanically  grasping  the  tankard, 
which  was  thrust  into  his  hand,  Jeriy,  with  most  dejected  countenance  and  in  a  whisper, 
replied, 

"  Sudden  ?  I  rayther  think  she  did.  She  went  off  like — "  Saying,  this  he  heaved 
a  deep  sigh,  looked  resignedly  at  the  half  and  half,  blew  off  the  froth  and  gulped  it 
down  ;  then  directing  his  shipmate's  attention  to  a  distant  part  of  the  bar,  he  seized 
the  opportunity  and  made  off. 

The  convivial  sailor  bawled  after  him  to  come  back ;  but  finding  it  a  useless 
proceeding,  returned  to  the  bar,  and  calling  together  a  host  of  generous  spirits,  ordered 
the  landlord  to  supply  them  with  unlimited  beer.  This  was  done  until  the  sailor 
became  unruly,  when  the  honest  landlord  thrashed  him  severely,  emptied  his  pockets, 
and  kicked  him  into  the  street,  whence  he  was  conveyed  to  the  station-house, 
where  "  he  enjoyed  his  liberty  "  all  night. 

It  being  somewhat  late  the  next  morning  before  the  magistrate  released  him,  he 
was,  upon  leaving  the  police-court,  arrested  as  a  deserter  by  the  ship's  corporal,  and 
when  he  arrived  on  board,  Lieutenant  Crushe  informed  him  "  that  his  grog  was  stopped 
for  a  month,  and  three  pounds  sterling  would  be  deducted  from  his  wages,  the  same  to 
be  paid  over  to  the  ship's  corporal  for  arresting  him."  This  double-barrelled  style  of 
punishment  was  not  much  to  the  man's  taste ;  but  knowing  it  would  be  useless  to  say 
a  word  in  defence,  he  pulled  his  forelock  and  left  the  quarter-deck,  vowing  he'd  never 
go  ashore  agin  as  long  as  he  belonged  to  the  Stinger. 

Jerry  soon  found  out  the  house  where  Captain  Puffeigh  was  visiting ;  but  in  his 
uncertainty  whether  the  family  were  out,  he  steered  clear  of  the  front  door,  and  dived 
down  a  lane  which  ran  to  the  back  of  the  premises.  Now,  it  was  a  very  easy  matter 
to  tell  the  right  house  by  the  front,  as  the  name  "  Portland  Villa  "  was  marked  upon  the 
gate ;  but  the  back  doors  were  provokingly  alike,  and  the  poor  fellow  was  sorely  puzzled 
to  know  at  which  to  knock. 

In  vain  he  tried  to  make  out  the  form  of  his  lady-love  at  one  of  the  windows.  He 
saw  several  very  pretty  girls,  who  evidently  would  not  have  objected  to  a  little  flirta- 
tion, but  he  dared  not  even  wink  at  one  of  them,  fearing  Mary  Ann  might  detect  him 
in  the  act,  or  subsequently  hear  of  it.  It  was  almost  as  great  a  temptation  as  the  half 
and  half ;  and  had  it  been  a  closer  one,  he  might  have  yielded  as  easily. 

Finding  an  empty  barrel  near  one  of  the  doors,  he  seated  himself  on  it ;  and  lighting 
his  pipe,  waited  for  the  appearance  of  some  one  who  would  give  him  the  information  he 
required.  Over  the  door  was  clustered  a  mass  of  ivy ;  and  as  he  presently  heard 


26  BLUE  JACKETS;  OR,  THE  AD\ENTUKES  OF 

a  voice  which  strongly  reminded  him  of  his  girl's,  he  kicked  off  his  shoes,  and 
clambering  up,  soon  found  himself  in  a  position  to  ascertain  if  his  conjecture  was 
correct 

Judge  his  horror  and  astonishment,  when  this  feat  revealed  to  him  Mary  Ann — his 
own  Mary  Ann — actually  kissing  a  sergeant  of  the  line.  The  sight  nearly  took  away  his 
breath.  He  rubbed  his  eyes,  chewed  a  leaf  of  ivy  to  ascertain  if  he  were  awake,  found  fr«m 
the  flavour  that  he  was,  looked  again,  and  saw  her  kiss  him  a  second  time  (on  this  occasion 
the  salute  was  returned  by  the  military  man),  then  with  a  smothered  groan  he  relaxed 
his  grasp  of  the  ivy,  and  lowered  himself  into  the  lane.  For  some  moments  he  could 
hardly  credit  it  was  a  reality  ;  but  the  flavour  of  the  ivy  lingering  upon  his  palate, 
proved  to  him  it  was  not  a  vision. 

"Blame  his  imperdince :  and  to  think  my  gal  could  kiss  a  soger!"  he  cried. 
However — there  was  no  good  in  lamenting  over  it,  revenge  •was  his  next  idea ;  so  he 
walked  up  and  down  the  lane,  now  and  then  stopping  to  square  off  at  imaginary 
soldiers,  by  way  of  relieving  his  pent-up  rage,  until  his  rival  should  make  his 
appearance. 

After  the  lapse  of  a  short  time,  which  seemed  hours  to  the  irate  sailor,  the  door  was 
cautiously  opened,  and  the  military  gentleman  stepped  forth,  whistling  as  he  came  the 
well-known  air  "  The  girl  I  left  behind  me,"  and  swaggering  along  in  the  inoffensive 
manner  peculiar  to  the  regular  army. 

Jerry  planted  himself  before  the  astonished  son  of  Mars,  and  fiercely  demanded  if  he 
considered  himself  a  man.  The  suddenness  of  the  attack  for  a  moment  bewildered 
the  sergeant,  who  said,  by  way  of  reply,  "  Wot's  the  matter  with  you,  Jack  ?  ** 
Delivering  a  tremendous  blow  under  the  chin  of  his  opponent,  and  knocking  him  clean 
off  his  feet,  the  sailor  proceeded  to  dunce  around  his  foe,  exclaiming,  "  That's  wot's  the 
matter,  my  Mormon  elder ;  that's  my  answer,  my  cherry  garden  duke."7  The  soldier 
quickly  got  up.  and  squared  off  at  him,  upon  which  Jerry  again  sailed  into  the  enemy. 
Quite  a  lively  encounter  ensued,  and  the  combatants  being  both  active  and  much 
enraged,  the  "  Regular  Army  ~  and  the  "  Royal  Navy  ^  made  it  pretty  tropical  for  each 
other. 

Mary  Ann  did  not  look  into  the  lane  when  she  let  the  sergeant  out,  but  returned 
to  the  kitchen,  and  informed  the  cook  "  that  it  was  nearly  time  her  sweetheart  arrived.'' 
She  was  about  leaving  the  apartment  when  her  attention  was  arrested  by  a  noise  in  the 
lane.  Thinking  it  might  be  her  admirer,  she  ran  to  the  back-door,  and  opened  it  just  in 
time  to  see  Jerry  in  the  act  of  flooring  the  sergeant  with  a  •well-directed  blow  on  the 
nose.  Glancing  proudly  upon  her  brave  but  excited  lover,  and  uttering  a  scream, 
she  rushed  into  his  arms,  and  endeavoured  to  clasp  him  round  the  neck,  but  failed  to 
do  BO,  as  he  waved  her  off  with  a'gloomy,  sorrowful  air. 

The  noise  brought  out  the  cook,  who  seeing  her  lover,  the  sergeant,  extended  on  the 
grass  as  if  dead,  rushed  to  him,  knelt  by  his  side,  and,  like  another  "  Thisbe,"5 
endeavoured  to  re-animate  his  manly  form,  declaring  all  the  while  that  "  the  sailor  was 
a  brute,  who  ought  to  be  given  into  the  custody  of  the  perlice."* 

Thompson  was  keeping  Mary  Ann  at  arm's  length,  his  eyes  flashing  and  body 
quivering  with  excitement,  as  he  vainly  endeavoured  to  get  at  his  foe,  every  attempt 
being  thwarted  by  his  girL 

Upon  hearing  the  cook's  observations,  Mary  Ann  turned  quickly  round,  and 
exclaimed, 

"  Perlice,  indeed.  Amelia  !     "Why  this  is  my  own  dear  Jerry '. " 

"  Who's  that  ere  soger  ?  "  demanded  her  lover,  upon  which  she  made  another  attempt 


J.  THOMPSON',  A.  B.,  AMOXG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHUS'EE."       27 

to   clasp   him    to  her  heart.     "Waving  her  off  with  a   dignified  and  injured  air,  he 
exclaimed, 

"  Mary  Aim,  tell  me — who  is  that  soger  ?     Tell  me,  Mary  Ann — or  111  kill  him ! " 

With  this  he  again  tried  to  rush  at  his  foe. 

"  Will  you  kill  him ':  "  screamed  the  cook,  letting  fall  the  sergeant's  head,  which  she 
was  tenderly  supporting,  and  darting  towards  his  opponent.  "  Will  you,  you  willin  ":  " 

"  Oh  dear !  oh  dear !  what  shall  I  do  with  these  mad  folks  ?  "  exclaimed  the  lady's 
maid.  "  Jerry,  dear,  that  sergeant  is  my  own  brother  Alfred  ;  however  did  you  come 
for  to  fight  him  ?  " 

"  111  let  you  knew,  young  man,"  screamed  the  cook  ;  but  her  attention  was  suddenly 
attracted  by  the  sergeant,  who,  staggering  to  his  feet,  requested  some  one  to  inform 
him  where  they  had  buried  the  sailor  he  had  killed,  and  upon  seeing  the  hitter  he  was 
about  to  rush  upon  him,  when  he  found  himself  locked  in  the  arms  of  his  lady-love. 

It  was  some  time  before  the  ladies  succeeded  in  making  their  excited  lovers 
understand  matters,  and  during  the  first  part  of  the  negotiation  the  men  were  with 
difficulty  restrained  from  renewing  the  combat.  As  it  was,  they  glowered  at  each 
other,  over  the  shoulders  of  their  respective  ladies,  like  infuriated  mastiffs. 

However,  as  the  facts  dawned  upon  them,  their  anger  gave  place  to  merriment. 

"  I'm  proud  to  know  you,  sergeant-major." 

"  And  I'm  equally  proud  to  know  you,  commodore." 

And  the  heroes  continued  to  compliment  each  other  in  the  most  extravagant  style 
for  some  moments,  until  their  vocabulary  of  honorary  titles  became  exhausted. 

Hary  Ann  was  delighted  with  her  lover's  spirit,  although  after  the  reconciliation 
she  declared  "  that  Jerry  was  a  horrid  fellow  to  hurt  her  brother,  and  vowed  she  would 
never  permit  him  to  kiss  her  again."  "We  regret  to  record  she  immediately  broke  her 
word.  We  are  sorry,  but  it  was  so,  another  proof  of  the  vanity  of  vows  in  general,  and 
those  of  lovers  in  particular. 

The  party  then  adjourned  to  the  servants'  hall,  where,  after  a  merry  time  over  a 
cup  of  tea,  Thompson  was  called  upon  to  entertain  the  company  with  imitations 
of  celebrated  tragic  actors.  The  hall  table  was  pushed  against  the. wall,  and  an  Indian 
screen,  borrowed  from  the  drawing-room,  placed  thereon.  As  if  by  previous  invitation, 
a  number  of  ladies  and  gentlemen,  in  the  same  rank  of  life  as  their  entertainers?  shortly 
arrived,  and  the  servants'  hall  at  "  Portland  Villa  "  was  soon  densely  crowded.  Among 
the  visitors  of  distinction  were  Mr.  Noble,  the  "young  man  from  the  painter's," 
William,  from  the  grocer's,  Mr.  Slab,  the  fishmonger,  and  several  good-looking  domestics 
from  the  adjoining  houses,  with  their  "  shadows,"  the  latter  being  young  men  of  mild 
and  obedient  dispositions,  who  were  sometimes  allowed  to  bask  in  the  sunshine  of  their 
smiles. 

The  sergeant,  who  was  by  this  time  quite  reconstructed,  agreed  to  act  as  Jerry's 
dresser  and  general  assistant  during  the  performance.  The  house  was  rummaged  for 
properties,  and  the  heap  piled  up  behind  the  screen  somewhat  puzzled  Thompson,  who 
dressed  and  redressed  four  or  five  times  before  he  quite  made  up  his  mind  which 
selection  would  become  him  best. 

Every  available  chair  in  the  house  was  brought  into  the  hall,  and  when  the  supply 
in  that  direction  failed,  some  were  fetched  in  from  the  neighbouring  residences  by  the 
obedient  "  shadows." 

The  band  consisted  of  a  violin  and  flute,  assisted  by  the  sergeant,  who  operated  upon 
a  snare  drum,  which  some  lunatic  had  brought  from  the  attic.  As  the  space  was 
limited,  the  musicians  were  stowed  away  behind  the  screen,  much  to  the  annoyance  of 


28  BLUE   JACKETS  ;    OK,   THE   ADVENTURES   OF 

Thompson,  who  could  hardly  turn  when  dressing,  and  their  din  prevented  the  sergeant 
hearing  his  directions. 

Precisely  as  the  hall  clock  struck  nine  the  band  was  "  taken  worse."  The  overture 
was  rather  peculiar.  First  the  "  shadow  "  who  played  the  violin  called  out,  "  The 
Red,  White,  and  Blue,"  and  then  proceeded  to  indulge  the  company  with  a  "  spiral 
agony,"  which  sounded  very  much  like  the  Old  Hundredth  played  in  jerks.  After 
getting  well  warmed  to  his  work,  he  was  suddenly  stopped  by  a  prolonged  roll  on  the 
drum,  put  in  by  the  sergeant,  who,  thinking  the  air  was  becoming  "  thready,"  came  to 
his  assistance.  The  flutist  now  essayed  "  The  last  Rose  of  Summer,"  delivered  note  by 
note  in  a  laboured  and  painful  manner.  He  also  was  assisted  by  the  military ;  and 
when  the  latter  found  "  he  was  going  it  seriously,  and  didn't  mean  to  stop,"  he  finished 
him  off  with  a  ran-tan-tan  upon  the  drum,  which  quite  electrified  the  audience,  and  a 
hearty  round  of  applause  followed. 

"When  the  last  sound  had  died  away  the  sergeant  unslung  the  drum,  marched  from 
behind  the  screen,  stood  at  attention,  made  the  orthodox  military  salute,  and  spoke  as 
follows : — 

"  Ladies  and  gents,  a  talented  gent  will  oblige  this  evening  with  imitations  of 
actors,  giving  Macready  as  Macbeth,  Kean  as  Hamlet,  and  Creswick  as  Romeo ;  "  then, 
with  another  salute,  he  faced  half-round  and  gravely  marched  behind  the  screen.  This 
speech  being  considered  quite  enchanting  by  the  lady  .portion  of  the  audience,  several 
of  whom  cried  "  enkeore,"  the  soldier  was  prevailed  upon  to  come  forward  again, 
which  he  did  in  the  same  automatic  manner  as  before ;  but  being  called  upon  for  a 
third  time,  he  looked  over  the  screen,  and  said,  "  Not  if  I  knows  it !  hold  your  row," 
upon  which  the  company  quieted  down,  and  awaited  the  entrance  of  the  hero  of  the 
hour. 

In  order  to  produce  "  soft  music,"  Jerry  hit  upon  the  novel  idea  of  throwing  a 
blanket  over  the  band,  who  thus,  extinguished,  had  to  feel  their  way  through  the 
intricacies  of  the  well-known  minstrel  air  "  Mary  Blane."  This  deadening  process  was 
so  effectual,  that  at  times  the  music  could  not  be  heard  at  all.  upon  which  Thompson 
would  call  out  in  a  voice  quite  audible  to  the  spectators,  "  Come,  fiddler  ;  more  steam, 
old  man." 

Loud  was  the  applause  when  Macbeth  slowly  emerged  from  behind  the  screen, 
gliding  along  as  if  he  ran  on  wheels.  He  bowed  low,  and  winking  at  Mary  Ann,  pro- 
ceeded at  once  to  business.  His  costume  defies  description,  and  any  one  not  well 
posted  would  have  imagined  he  was  personating  one  of  the  witches. 

The  sergeant  officiated  as  ghost,  being  no  less  ludicrously  got  up.  Upon  his 
elaborately  floured  head  was  tied  a  tight  night-cap,  his  face  was  chalked,  and  his 
body  enveloped  in  a  night-habit,  which  must  have  been  made  for  a  short,  fat  woman, 
as  it  only  reached  to  his  knees,  leaving  his  striped  trousers  visible,  and  presenting 
anything  but  a  spectral  appearance.  Whenever  he  blundered,  Macbeth  prompted  him 
sotto  voce,  and  stage  directions,  such  as — "  I  say,  Stripey,  mind  your  eye,  or  you'll  be  off 
the  table,"  to  which  the  ghost  of  Banquo  would  reply,  "  All  right,  Jerry,  old  man; 
you're  werry  near  the  edge  yourself,"  were  received  by  the  audience  as  comic  interludes, 
and  as  such  brought  down  the  house, 

In  the  second  representation  Thompson  appeared  in  long  black  cotton  hose,  bor- 
rowed from  the  cook,  an  old  Zouave  jacket,  and  black  cloak.  He  had  on  his  head  a 
high  felt  hat,  with  a  brim  of  the  broadest  kind,  and  fastened  to  the  gigantic  buckle  of 
this  article  was  a  bunch  of  feathers.  His  tout  emsemble  was  a  kaleidoscopic  combination 
of  Beppo,  a  primitive  African,  Captain  Kidd  the  pirate,  and  a  Pilgrim  Father.  We 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      29 

omitted  to  mention,  that  dangling  from  his  side  was  the  dress  sword  of  Captain 
Puffeigh,  which  clanked  and  got  in  his  way  in  a  most  uncomfortable  fashion. 

The  sergeant  again  appeared  as  a  spirit,  but  was  on  this  occasion  draped  in  white 
muslin,  several  skirts  formed  of  that  material  being  wound  about  him,  in  an  artistic 
manner.  When  he  marched  on,  he  could  not  be  induced  to  glide,  one  of  the  audience 
took  him  for  a  "  vestal  virgin,"  and  remarked  the  same  to  a  neighbour,  upon  which  the 
cook  corrected  him  with  the  stinging  observation  that  "  any  donkey  might  see  it  was  a 
ghost,"  this  sage  remark  producing  a  murmur  of  confirmation  from  her  friends. 

The  greatest  sensation  of  the  evening  was  the  third  and  last  portion  of  the  enter- 
tainment;  and  when  the  violinist  appeared  to  announce  that,  "by  special  desire  a  young 
lady  would  support  Mr.  Thompson  as  Juliet,"  everybody  rose  and  applauded.  A  sharp 
discussion  among  the  audience  followed,  some  imagining  Jerry  was  to  undertake 
the  part  of  Juliet,  assisted  by  a  young  lady,  while  to  others  the  somewhat  enigmatical 
speech  was  as  plain  as  possible ;  however,  the  conversation  served  to  pass  away  the 
time,  and  it  brought  forward  some  startling  opinions. 

If  Thompson's  rendering  was  correct,  there  must  have  been  a  wonderful  similarity 
of  voice  and  style  between  the  distinguished  tragedians.  Be  this  as  it  may,  he  succeeded 
in  delighting  his  audience.  The  fishmonger,  who  declared  he  was  very  intimate  with 
the  three  great  actors — he  had  seen  them  in  the  street — loudly  asserting  that  "  to  his 
mind  Jerry  was  more  life-like  than  the  originals."  Of  course,  after  this  further 
criticism  was  superfluous. 

Mary  Ann  had  on  one  or  two  occasions,  assisted  at  some  parlour  theatricals,  and 
liked  the  fun  immensely  ;  so  when  her  lover,  who  in  her  eyes  appeared  a  greater  hero 
than  ever,  requested  her  to  take  the  part  of  "  Juliet,"  she  declared  "  she  knew  every 
word  of  it,"  and  was  dressed  in  a  few  moments. 

Romeo  certainly  presented  a  most  comical  appearance.  His  lower  limbs  were  encased 
in  salmon-coloured  hose,  short  blue  trousers,  fastened  at  the  knee  with  green  ribbon, 
purple  doublet  slashed  with  white,  short  cloak,  and  the  before-mentioned  dress  sword. 
Upon  his  head  was  a  lady's  Leghorn  hat — one  of  the  old  broad-brim  period — attached 
to  this  being  a  crushed  ostrich  feather,  which  sometimes  tilted  over  his  eyes,  and  at 
others  stuck  bolt  upright,  his  face  being  "  got  up  "  in  a  most  alarming  style,  with  cork 
wrinkles,  moustache,  and  imperial. 

Mary  Ann  being  added  to  the  company,  the  musicians  were  ordered  to  take  up  their 
positions  on  the  stairs,  from  which  elevated  place  they  slaughtered  "  See  the  Conquering 
Hero  comes,"  sandwiched  artistically  with  "  Auld  Lang  Syne,"  their  numbers  being 
strengthened  by  the  addition  of  a  young  gentleman  in  stand-up  collar  and  weak  eyes, 
who  performed  on  the  "  paperophonicon,"  and  a  fat  man  who  was  great  on  the  drum 
and  tea-tray.  The  overture  to  this  piece  strongly  resembled  a  musical  rendering  of  an 
earthquake. 

Jerry  made  his  entrance,  and  flattering  was  the  greeting  he  received.  His  gorgeous 
costume  quite  took  the  audience  by  surprise,  and  the  ladies  unanimously  declared  "  he 
was  a  duck." 

After  he  had  shouted  the  words  "  He  jests  at  scars  that  never  felt  a  wound,"  this 
being  delivered  in  a  tone  of  voice  suitable  to  a  deaf  audience,  Mary  Ann,  who  was 
dressed  in  a  lovely  white  silk  robe,  with  a  muslin  veil  fastened  mantilla-like  to  her  head, 
rose  from  behind  the  screen,  placed  her  arm  gingerly  upon  it,  rested  her  cheek  upon 
her  hand,  and  at  the  proper  time  replied,  "  Ah,  me  ! "  in  a  very  pathetic  and  creditable 
manner.  After  which  she  turned  to  her  brother,  who  was  holding  her  as  she  stood 
upon  the  chair,  and  observed,  "Don't  joggle  the  chair  so,  Alfred  dear,  or  I  shall  slip  off." 

The  performance  went  off  splendidly.     Sergeant  Ross  held  Mary  Ann  quite  firmly, 


30  BLUE   JACKETS  ;    OK,    THE    ADVENTURES    OF 

and  prompted  her  from  a  copy  of  Shakespeare,  procured  for  the  occasion  from  the 
library.  Everything  was  lovely,  and  loud  the  applause  that  followed  the  delivery  of 
each  period. 

Juliet  had  made  her  exit,  or  rather  had  been  assisted  off  her  perch  by  her  brother, 
and  Romeo  was  repeating  the  well-known  lines,  "  Oh  blessed,  blessed  night !  I  am 
afeard,  being  in  night,  all  this  is  but  a  dream,"  when  he  suddenly  stopped,  gaped,  made 
a  grimace,  and  shouting,  "  Look  out  there  !  "  rushed  behind  the  screen,  rapidly  stripped 
off  his  costume,  and  resumed  his  sailor's  attire.  The  audience  seeing  his  agile  exit, 
took  it  as  a  portion  of  the  performance,  and  screamed  with  delight,  when  suddenly 
they  were  aware  of  the  presence  of  an  unwelcome  visitor,  as  some  one  in  the  doorway 
said,  "  You'll  find  it  isn't  a  dream,  my  fine  fellow.  Where's  the  cook  ?  " 

"Tnrii  him  out ! ''  cried  several  of  the  audience. 

"  Where's  the  cook  ?  "  demanded  the  angry  voice. 

"  Gone  to  the  play,"  returned  a  wag. 

"  Who's  that  taking  my  name  in  vain  ?  "  inquired  that  lady.  As  she  said  this  she 
turned  round,  and  beheld  the  fiery  visage  of  Captain  Puffeigh,  who  had  returned  to 
fetch  something  for  his  wife,  and  to  tell  the  servants  "  they  need  not  sit  up." 

Upon  seeing  him  she  screamed  out,  "  Oh !  my  !  it's  the  capting !  "  and  immediately 
went  into  violent  hysterics. 

The  place  was  soon  cleared,  and  Puffeigh  about  to  depart,  when  a  movement  at  the 
end  of  the  hall  arrested  his  attention.  He  walked  to  the  table,  and  pulled  the  screen 
on  one  side  ;  beholding  as  he  did  so,  a  tableau  which  nearly  brought  on  an  apoplectic 
fit.  Mary  Ann  was  seated  in  a  chair,  sobbing  as  if  her  heart  would  break.  Supporting 
her  on  either  side  were  the  sergeant  and  Thompson,  who  looked  at  the  captain  as  if  he 
were  a  transparent  substance,  and  could  bo  seen  through. 

"  Who  the  deuce  are  you  ?  "  said  the  captain. 

The  soldier  saluted  and  the  sailor  smiled.- 

"  You — you — who  are  you  ?  " 

The  sergeant  saluted  again. 

"  Bless  you !  you  red  coated  puppy  !  what's  your  name  ?  " 

This  only  brought  forth  another  mechanical  salute  from  the  military  man. 

Being  baffled  by  the  tactics  of  the  "  regular  army,"  Puffeigh  next  tackled  the  sailor. 
What  with  cork  wrinkles  and  other  facial  decorations,  it  would  have  been  somewhat 
a  puzzle  for  his  mother  to  have  identified  Jerry,  who  looked  his  officer  full  in  the 
face,  and  bowed  rapidly,  saying, 

"  Service  to  ye,  sir." 

"  What  ship  do  you  belong  to  ?  "  demanded  the  captain. 

"  Wictory,  yer  honour." 

"  What's  your  name  ?  "  bullied  Puffeigh. 

"  Jemmy  Green,  sir." 

"  It's  a  deuced  good  job  for  you  that  I  leave  England  a  few  days,  or  I'd  call  in  a 
policeman  and  give  you  in  charge.  Clear  out !  you  fellow,  it's  a  blessing  you  don't 
belong  to  my  ship,  or  I'd  give  you  four  dozen  lashes  for  this  evening's  amusement." 
Saying  this  the  noble  commander  strutted  fiercely  out  of  the  hall. 

Thompson  waited  until  his  superior  officer  was  fairly  up  stairs,  when  he  bawled 
after  him,  "  Pleasant  voyage  to  you,  captain.  I'm  glad  we  ain't  aboard  the  Stinger," 
and  then  vanished  out-of-doors  with  his  lady. 

The  lovers  lingered  long  at  the  gate,  and  bade  each  other  good-bye  a  hundred  times. 

"  I'll  never  look  at  any  one  else  again,  Jerry  dear,"  sobbed  Mary  Ann. 

"  And  ni  be  as  true  as  steel,  s'  help  me,  I  will,"  replied  the  ardent  lover. 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    "  THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE. 


31 


The  girl  saw  him  to  the  end  of  the  lane,  and  then  bade  him  good-bye,  upon  which 
he  vowed  he  must  see  her  safely  back  again.  This  little  amusement  they  repeated  a 
great  many  times,  until  the  cook  came  out,  with  her  apron  over  her  head,  and 
declared  "  they  were  both  fools ;  and  if  Mary  Ann  didn't  come  in,  she  would  lock  her 
out."  This  announcement  brought  them  to  their  senses  ;  so,  resigning  his  love  to  the 
care  of  her  sympathetic  fellow-servant,  he,  with  something  very  much  like  a  groan,  tore 
himself  away. 

One  of  the  housemaids  lingered  upon  the  stairs  to  hear  how  the  lovers  parted, 
and  when  the  cook  gave  her  the  particulars,  she  exclaimed  "  Poor  Mary  Ann  !  poor 
Jerry !  especially  poor  Mary  A.rm  ! "  And  in  this  sentiment,  peculiar  as  it  is,  we 
cordially  agree. 


32  BLUE   JACKETS  J    OB,    THE   ADVENTUKES   OF 


CHAPTER  V. 

A  HEAVY  raw  fog  hung  about  the  ships  anchored  off  Spithead  on  the  morning 
appointed  for  Clare's  punishment.  Aurora  seemed  to  have  an  inkling  that  man  was 
about  to  do  a  very  mean  action  ;  and  not  being  able  to  prevent  the  outrage,  endeavoured, 
woman-like,  to  veil  it. 

The  officer  of  the  watch  was  leaning  upon  the  capstan  on  the  quarter-deck  of 
H.  M.  S.  Stinger.  He  was  wet,  cold  and  miserable,  and  wished  himself  anywhere  else. 
Lounging  there,  with  the  fog  collecting  in  silvery  drops  upon  his  uniform,  he  wondered 
how  his  god-father  and  god-mother,  after  having  among  other  impossible  vows,  promised 
that  "  he  should  renounce  the  devil  and  all  his  works,"  could  have  used  their  utmost 
endeavour  to  get  him  into  the  navy,  where  he  was  called  upon  to  assist  Zamiel  in  such 
fiend-like  business  as  the  one  in  which  he  was  then  engaged.  Lieutenant  Ford  having 
lately  belonged  to  a  ship  commanded  by  a  man  who  could  govern  sailors  without 
bombast,  and  threatening  every  slight  offence  with  the  punishment  of  the  lash,  the 
preparations  for  torturing  a  sailor  under  the  pretence  of  administering  justice, 
disgusted  him.  He  knew  full  well  that  the  carpenter's  mates  had  quietly  brought  aft 
two  capstan  bars,  and  lashed  them  securely  to  the  ship's  side,  just  abaft  the  starboard 
gangway;  he  was  aware  they  had  fastened  two  gratings  to  these  vertical  bars, 
and  perfectly  conscious  of  the  boatswain's  yeoman  having  brought  aft  a  bag 
containing  a  number  of  the  whips  called  "  cats,"  and  the  necessary  canvas  bands  or 
seizings  by  which  the  prisoner  was  to  be  seized,  or  lashed  to  the  gratings.  Lieutenant 
Ford  knew  all  this,  but  he  never  turned  his  eyes  in  that  direction,  or  appeared  to  be 
aware  of  the  proceedings. 

At  the  appointed  time  he  gave  the  necessary  instructions  to  the  boatswain,  upon 
receipt  of  which,  Mr.  Shever  walked  to  the  main  hatchway,  and  stooping  down  so  that 
the  sound  might  reach  the  cell  where  Clare  was  confined,  blew  a  shrill  blast  upon  his 
call,  waited  until  the  same  was  repeated  by  his  mates  between  decks,  then  bellowed 
forth,  with  all  the  force  of  his  powerful  lungs,  '•  Lash  up  hammocks,  rouse  out ;  rouse 
out,  all  of  ye." 

Slipping  his  call  into  his  vest  pocket,  he  darted  down  the  hatchway,  and  running 
forward,  worried  the  men  out  of  their  hammocks,  administering  a  kick,  curse,  or  blow, 
as  his  playful  fancy  or  the  defenceless  positions  of  his  victims  dictated.  Small  boys 
were  there  who  turned  out  of  their  warm  beds  into  the  raw  air  with  a  gulph,  as  if 
suddenly  seized  with  ague  chills.  These  white,  shivering  forms  were  fair  marks  for 
Shever,  who,  snatching  a  piece  of  line  from  the  hand  of  one  of  his  assistants,  socfh. 
demonstrated  to  the  unlucky  urchins  how  skillfully  he  could  manipulate  a  rope's  end, 
their  howls  showing  that  every  stroke  had  raised  what  he  jocosely  termed  "  a  mark 
that  would  give  'em  some  trouble  to  rub  out." 

With  the  active  assistance  of  the  boatswain's  mates  there  was  soon  an  empty  line 
of  hammocks  dangling  between  decks.  The  late  occupants  dressed,  lashed  up  their 
nautical  beds,  took  them  on  deck,  and  placed  them  in  the  nettings,  after  which  some 
skulked  in  out-of-the  way  places  and  smoked ;  while  others,  who  had  been  the  recipients 
of  the  boatswain's  gentle  attentions,  collected  in  groups  about  the  foremost  guns,  and 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."       33 

scowled  at  each  other,  as  if  anxious  to  be  revenged  upon  some  one.  None  of  them 
prayed ;  indeed,  very  many  of  the  Stingers  looked  upon  prayer  as  an  admiralty 
ordinance  served  out  to  them  on  Sundays  along  with  the  articles  of  war  and  other 
luxuries. 

The  kindly  Shever  and  his  assistants  soon  cleared  between  decks  of  all  the  sailors, 
and  sentries  were  placed  over  each  hatchway,  to  prevent  the  men  going  below  again 
until  punishment  was  over.  None  of  the  crew  seemed  inclined  to  go  aft,  but  kept  as 
far  forward  as  possible. 

A  few  of  the  men  mentioned  Clare's  name,  and  expressed  a  wish  "  he  might  get 
off  easily ;  "  others,  who  under  different  circumstances  would  have  still  been  in  their 
hammocks,  abused  the  prisoner  in  round  terms,  and  "  trusted  the  fool  might  get  what 
he  asked  for."  One  gentleman,  who  had  formerly  been  an  eminent  sneak-thief  (but 
finding  the  land  too  warm,  had  betaken  himself  to  the  water),  blessed  the  service 
collectively  and  individually,  from  the  first  lord  of  the  admiralty  to  the  last  captured 
sailor,  offering  up  a  specially  fervent  appeal  for  the  welfare  of  all  the  Stingers  both 
now  and  hereafter.  He  continued  in  this  strain  until  his  remarks  became  personal  to 
another  gentlemen,  whereupon  the  latter  knocked  him  down  and  jumped  upon  him, 
after  which  he  held  his  peace. 

It  may  be  gathered  from  these  occurrences  that  Clare's  shipmates  did  not  exhibit 
much  sympathy  for  him,  the  truth  being,  no  one  could  tell  when  his  own  turn  would 
arrive  to  taste  the  lash ;  and  not  looking  forward  to  receiving  much  condolence  them- 
selves, they  did  not  display  any  for  the  victim  on  this  occasion.  Some  of  the  boys, 
thinking  by  the  light  manner  in  which  the  idea  of  flogging  was  treated  by  one  or 
two  of  the  crew,  that  it  would  be  a  capital  joke  to  see  a  man  tied  up  and  tortured, 
were  squabbling  about  places,  one  imp  offering  "  sixpence  and  two  plugs  of  tobacco  to 
any  cove  who  would  shove  him  into  a  good  place  to  see ; "  several  of  the  men  kept  their 
eyes  on  that  lad  with  a  view  to  receiving  this  reward. 

Crushe,  resplendent  with  gold  lace,  cocked  hat  on  head,  his  sword  resting  on  his 
arm,  was  lounging  about  the  quarter-deck  in  conversation  with  Cravan,  and  seeing  Mr. 
Shever  standing  forward,  scr+  for  him.  When  that  worthy  came  aft  and  touched  his 
cap,  Crushe  walked  over  to  the  gratings,  and  asked  him  if  he  knew  anything  of  his 
mate's  capabilities  in  the  flogging  line.  Shever  replied  that  "  one  of  them  was  a  first- 
rate  hand  with  the  cats,  and  the  other  would  do  his  duty  ; "  and  added,  "  I  seed  to 
them  before  I  left  between  decks,"  by  which  he  implied  that  the  bottle  of  brandy  sent 
to  his  cabin  by  the  generous  Crushe  had  been  shared  with  these  mates,  who,  like  the 
boatswain,  were  now  far  from  sober. 

"  Of  course  you  know  how  to  do  your  duty,  Shever  ?  "  observed  the  lieutenant  in  a 
patronizing  tone.  "  No  nervousness  about  you,  eh  ?  " 

Shever  looked  at  his  interrogator,  and  replied  in  a  somewhat  injured  manner, 
"  Lieutenant  Crushe,  you  trust  me,  I  won't  leave  a  bit  of  cheek  in  the  feller.  Wot 
.  with  my  cat  and  the  raw  air  he'll  be  quiet  enough  before  he  gets  his  allowance." 

Crushe  smiled  approvingly,  and  ordered  the  warrant  officer  "  to  send  the  hands  aft." 

The  boatswain  staggered  forward ;  and  putting  his  call  to  his  mouth,  the  sharp 
vindictive  notes,  proper  on  the  occasion,  echoed  through  the  ship,  his  assistants  repeating 
the  same  in  a  more  imperfect  manner. 

The  sounds  having  died  away,  Shever,  with  hoarse  voice  and  congested  visage, 
roared  out,  "  All  ha-nds, — to  punishment ;  "  then  with  the  assistance  of  his  mates  and 
the  ship's  corporal,  he  drove  the  crew  aft  to  the  port  side  of  the  quarter-deck,  and 
reported  "  all  aft "  to  Crushe. 

Shortly  after  this,  the  officers  came  up  from  below,  all  being  in  full  uniform :  the 

3 


34  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVENTURES  or 

surgeon  and  his  assistant,  the  paymaster  and  clerk,  the  lieutenants,  mates,  midshipmen 
aiid  engineers,  were  all  compelled  to  be  present,  although  many  of  them  were  disgusted 
with  the  duty.  As  they  came  on  deck  the  ship's  boys  thought  "  how  beautiful  the 
show  was,  and  wondered  what  would  come  next."  Notwithstanding  the  fog,  Cravan 
had  donned  his  best  full  dress,  the  prospect  seeming  to  light  up  his  visage  with  a  glow 
of  satisfaction.  We  must  mention  that  the  midshipmen,  who  had  less  gold  lace  upon 
their  uniforms  than  the  other  officers,  were  in  the  greatest  stew  about  their  bullion 
being  tarnished,  their  principal  occupation  being  to  discover  which  officer  gave  most 
shelter,  and  when  found,  to  avail  themselves  of  the  same. 

A  body  of  those  water  soldiers  known  in  H.  M.  navy  as  "  Rile  Marines  "  now  slowly 
ascended  the  main  hatchway,  and  fell  into  line  before  the  crew,  on  the  port  side  of  the 
quarter-deck.  In  heavy  marching  order,  and  knapsack  on  shoulder,  they  manoeuvred 
as  nimbly  as  snails. 

These  military  evolutions  struck  terror  into  the  hearts  of  the  second-class  boys,  who 
shut  their  eyes,  and  prepared  for  the  worst. 

Clare  was  escorted  on  deck  by  two  marines,  between  whom  he  walked  with  a  quiet, 
unassuming  air :  there  was  no  sign  of  fear  in  his  face,  nor  the  slightest  trace  of 
braggadocio  in  his  manner. 

The  captain  now  made  his  appearance,  and  was  saluted  by  the  officers  and  crew,  the 
marines  presenting  arms,  after  being  ordered  to  do  so  in  a  frantic  manner  by  the 
sergeant. 

Noticing  that  the  ship's  boys  were  completely  hidden  by  the  marines,  Puffeigh,  in 
order  that  the  imposing  ceremony  might  have  due  effect,  directed  that  the  lads  should 
be  ranged  in  front  of  the  capstan  before  them,  remarking,  "they  will  be  able  fully  to 
understand  what  flogging  is  like ; "  and  truly  they  were  placed  in  a  position  where  none 
of  the  horrors  would  be  missed  by  them. 

"  Strip !  "  cried  the  commander,  as  if  directing  the  movements  of  a  dog. 

The  prisoner  removed  his  serge  and  flannel,  and  stood  before  his  fellows  a  very  model 
of  a  man.  In  spite  of  his  fortitude,  the  cold  air  made  him  shiver.  It  was  one  of  those 
piercing  fogs  which  seem  to  absorb  all  the  warmth  from  the  body,  and  charge  it  in  lieu 
with  rheumatic  pains ;  as  if  in  very  spite  and  wantonness  it  seized  on  Clare's  muscular 
form,  and  tortured  it  into  blueness  in  a  few  seconds. 

"  Seize  him  up  ! "  continued  the  commander. 

The  ship's  corporal  advanced  with  two  quarter-masters,  and  they  were  about  to 
lay  hands  on  Clare,  but  he,  divining  their  intentions,  without  the  slightest  hesitation, 
walked  to  the  grating,  and  held  out  his  wrists.  One  of  the  quarter-masters  took  his 
right  hand,  and  having  passed  a  canvas  seizing  twice  round  it,  fastened  it  to  the 
capstan  bar  just  above  where  the  upper  grating  was  lashed,  his  companion  doing  the 
same  with  the  other  wrist  on  the  adjoining  bar ;  after  which  they  placed  bands  round 
his  neck  and  loins,  and  lashed  his  knees  to  the  lower  grating,  the  man  now  being  what 
sailors  term  "  spread-eagled."  • 

His  flannel  shirt  was  laid  across  his  shoulders,  and  the  men  who  had  seized  him  up 
retired,  upon  which  Captain  Puffeigh  proceeded  to  read  the  warrant  for  punishment. 
This  was  a  formal  document  which,  with  many  "now  wherefores"  and  "now 
whereases,"  recapitulated  the  finding  of  the  court-martial.  A  portion  of  the  articles 
of  war  was  also  read,  the  crew  standing  bareheaded  all  the  while. 

At  this  moment  the  sentry  reported,  "  Boat  right  alongside,  sir." 

"  See  who  it  is,"  bawled  the  commander. 

"  It's  a  woman  as  wants  to  see  you,  sir,"  shouted  the  sentry  from  the  gangway,  "  and 
she's  a  coming  up  the  gangway  ladder,  sir." 


J.    TIIOiLPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    "  THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE/'  35 

Upon  this  Puffeigh  directed  Cravan  to  tell  her  she  could  not  come  on  board. 
Cravan  returned  in  a  few  moments,  and  with  a  grin  upon  his  face,  reported  that 
"  it   was  the  prisoner's  wife,  who  wished  to  speak  with  the  captain." 
"  Is  she  in  her  boat  ? '"  demanded  Puffeigh. 

"  Yes,  sir !  I  promised  if  she  would  get  off  the  ladder  and  let  her  watermen  pull 
clear  away  from  the  side,  that  I'd  tell  you  what  she  wanted,"  replied  the  officer. 

"  Tell  her  if  her  watermen  come  near  the  ship  I  will  have  a  cold  shot  thrown  iato 
their  boat,  and  that  all  her  whining  won't  save  her  man,  who  will  shortly  get  what  she 
has  helped  him  to." 

Upon  hearing  this,  the  crew  uttered  a  yell  of  disgust,  one  fierce  roar,  and  then  all 
was  silent ;  hardened  as  some  of  them  were,  this  was  too  much  for  them.  Puffeigh  was 
almost  mad  with  rage,  and  he  screamed,  "  Open  your  mouths  like  that  once  again,  and 
I'll  order  the  marines  to  fire  amongst  you,  you  mutinous  hounds,"  and  the  marines 
looked  as  if  they  would  like  to  carry  out  such  a  humane  command. 

When  the  gallant  Cravan  had  reported  "  that  the  woman  was  gone,"  and  added,  for 
the  edification  of  the  prisoner,  "  that  when  he  last  saw  her  she  was  lying  all  of  a  heap 
in  the  stern  of  the  boat,"  the  captain  called  to  the  boatswain,  and  said,  "  Mr.  Shever,  do 
your  duty,"  upon  which  the  ship's  corporal  removed  the  shirt  from  Clare's  back,  and 
retired  a  few  paces  to  the  right. 

Tom  heard  all  that  passed  about  his  wife,  but  he  "  ate  his  heart,"  and  showed  no 
sign  of  his  terrible  torture; 

Shever  took  a  cat-o'-nine-tails'  from  under  his  jacket,  walked  to  the  left  side  of  the 
prisoner,  grasped  the  handle  firmly  in  his  right,  and  separated  the  cords  with 
the  fingers  of  his  left  hand ;  then  with  a  rapid  swish  raised  the  weapon  high  above  his 
head,  and  brought  the  cruel  lashes  savagely  across  the  naked  back  of  the  helpless 
victim. 

"  One  ! "  calls  the  ship's  corporal. 

"Two!" 

"  Three  ! "  and  now  a  number  of  blue  lines  crept  across  the  man's  back. 

"  Four ! "  They  changed  to  red,  beaded  with  the  blood  of  the  poor  wretch,  who 
trembled,  yet  bore  the  pain  without  uttering  a  word. 

"Five!"  "Six!"  "Seven!"  "What  is  that  staining  the  boatswain's  fingers? 
Blood,  my  Christian  friends  ! 

"  Eight !  "  "  Nine  ! "  •'  Ten ! "  More  blood !  Think  of  that,  parents  who  give 
your  sons  to  the  service  of  their  country ! 

"  Eleven !  "  Blood,  which  no  longer  stains  the  cat  alone,  for  specks  fly  off  and  dot 
the  blanched  faces  of  the  terror-stricken  lads  who  had  been  so  fiendishly  stationed  near 
by  the  gallant  commander. 

"  Twelve!"  called  the  ship's  corporal,  who  then  advanced  and  offered  the  trembling 
victim  some  water,  which  he  refused. 

Price,  the  boatswain's  mate,  now  took  up  his  position  in  the  place  vacated  by  Mr. 
Shever,  and  at  the  words,  "  Boatswain's  mate,  do  your  duty,"  laid  on  the  lash  with 
savage,  nervous  energy. 

""One  !  "  "  Two  ! "  "  Three  !  "  "  Four ! "  "  Five  ! "  "  Six  ! "  The  man's  back  showed 
a  number  of  broad,  blue  lines,  and  two  raw  patches  blushed  upon  his  blade  bones. 

"  Seven !  "  "  Eight ! "  "  Nine  ! "  "  Ten  ! "  "  Eleven  !  "  "  Twelve  !"  The  brandy  with 
which  the  savage  had  been  plied  was  doing  its  devil's  work,  and  he  seemed  desirous  of 
adding  a  thirteenth  blow,  but  was  stopped  by  the  commander. 

At  the  last  stroke  Clare  threw  back  his  head,  and  gasped  for  water,  which  was 
immediately  supplied,  him  by  the  ship's  corporal. 


36  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVKNTUKES  OF 

The  boatswain  resumed  his  position ;  and  now  fully  warmed  to  his  work,  xashed 
away  at  the  shuddering  mass  with  great  ferocity.  'Twas  no  longer  blood  alone  that 
clung  to  the  cats,  but  at  every  stroke  he  stripped  off  more  solid  cuttings  from  poor 
humanity.  See  how  the  thirty-sixth  lash  has  calmed  the  poor  wretch  !  There  was  little 
sign  of  insubordination  in  the  man  when  the  ship's  corporal  sprinkled  his  face  and 
held  the  water  to  his  lips  after  the  boatswain  had  retired. 

Another  boatswain's  mate  stepped  forward,  and  being  somewhat  inexperienced,  is 
cautioned  by  the  captain  "  not  to  miss  his  man."  With  an  awkward  sweep  he  brought 
his  lash  across  the  loins  of  the  prisoner,  who  writhed  in  agony  from  this  new  tortuie, 
the  protecting  band  having  become  displaced.  But  what  cared  the  operator  as  long  as 
the  captain  failed  to  notice  it  ?  and  stroke  followed  stroke  with  clumsy  rapidity. 

"  O  God !  "  cried  the  poor  victim,  "  flog  lower,"  as  at  the  "  eleventh"  blow  the  cat 
flew  stinging  round  his  head  and  across  his  eyes  At  the  "  fourteenth  "  the  prisoner 
threw  back  his  head  in  agony,  and  became  quite  rigid. 

When  the  last  of  the  fifty  lashes  had  been  delivered,  and  properly  told  off  by  the 
ship's  corporal,  Tom  Clare  hung  motionless  from  the  grating,  a  sight  so  pitiful  that 
many  of  the  officers  were  visibly  affected. 

"  Cast  him  off !"  directed  the  commander. 

In  a  few  moments  the  prisoner  was  released  and  supported  below,  where  the  sur- 
geon did  his  best  to  mitigate  the  man's  sufferings. 

Puffeigh  turned  to  the  crew  and  addressed  them  as  follows  : —  "  I  have  among  you 
some  more  fellows  like  the  man  who  has  just  received  punishment.  Now,  mark  my 
words,  my  fine  fellows,  if  any  of  you  give  me  the  slightest  trouble  you  will  soon  find 
yourselves  there  "  (pointing  towards  the  gratings)  "  Some  of  you  have  got  the  idea 
that  you  have  rights,  and  ought  to  be  treated  like  officers.  Dismiss  all  such  ideas  of 
equality  from  your  minds.  You  were  never  intended  to  be  put  em  a  level  with  your 
superiors.  We're  going  on  a  foreign  station,  and  I'll  keep  you  in  your  places.  Now, 
look  you  !  respect  your  superior  officers,  do  as  you  are  ordered,  and  thank  God  that  you 
are  under  a  man  who  will  give  you  four  dozen  as  soon  as  look  at  you." 

The  effect  of  this  speech  upon  the  crew  may  be  better  imagined  than  described. 
The  marines  stared  straight  before  them,  and  did  not  seem  to  be  affected  in  any  way, 
but  the  sailors  looked  askance,  and  whispered  to  each  other,  "  Won't  the  ship  be  a 
heaven  afloat  arter  this  ?  " 

"  Pipe  down,"  ordered  the  commander,  as  he  watched  the  faces  of  the  crew,  in  order 
to  note  the  dissatisfied  among  them;  "  and,"  added  he,  "Mr.  Crushe,  you  may  have 
them  piped  to  breakfast." 

When  Clare  had  somewhat  recovered  he  was  ordered  up  to  the  quarter-deck,  and 
placed  aft  under  the  charge  of  a  sentry  until  sunset,  when  the  ship's  corporal  informed 
him  he  was  free. 

Doubtless,  justice  was  satisfied. 

Puffeigh  went  on  shore,  and  boasted  that  he  had  conquered  his  men. 

Crushe  hugged  himself  to  think  how  well  he  had  kept  his  word. 

Cravan,  not  knowing  any  better,  imagined  he  was  revenged. 

And  the  devil  was  delighted  -with  the  whole  business. 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  ''THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."  '     37 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  day  after  Clare's  punishment  the  matter  was  almost  forgotten  in  the  hurry 
incident  to  preparation  for  sea.  By  5  P.M.  the  ship  was  perfectly  ready,  and  every  one 
at  his  post,  in  immediate  anticipation  of  getting  under  weigh,  when  the  signal  midship- 
man announced,  "  Our  pennant's  flying,  sir."  Up  went  the  rolls  of  bunting,  threading 
their  way  aloft  until  they  reached  the  mast-heads  of  the  flag-ship,  when  they  broke 
and  unfolded  themselves  to  the  breeze.  Their  purport  being  ascertained,  Captain 
Puffeigh  was  informed  that  the  Stinger  was  to  remain  at  anchor  until  sunrise  the  next 
morning.  Upon  receiving  this  order  the  commander  directed  "  the  engine-room  fires 
to  be  banked,  and  the  crew  piped  to  dance  and  skylark  ;  "  thus  giving  the  officers  and 
men  an  opportunity  of  writing  farewells  to  their  friends. 

Captain  Puffeigh  retired  to  his  cabin,  called  for  a  supply  of  pens,  ink,  paper,  and 
old  crusted  port,  and  proceeded  to  torture  himself  into  letter-writing  condition.  In  a 
short  time  he  worked  his  ideas  up  to  literary  red-heat,  and  produced  the  following 
extraordinary  effusion,  during  the  manufacture  of  Avhich  he  had  blessed  the  paper, 
execrated  his  spectacles,  and,  in  fact,  blamed  everything,  but  his  own  dull  brains. 
Mrs.  Puffeigh  being  young  and  pretty,  we  fear  did  not  see  much  to  admire  in  her 
husband,  and  was  not  at  all  sorry  to  be  once  more  free  from  his  oriental  attentions. 

"  H.  M.  8.  Stinger,  off  Spithead, 
"  16  November, . 

"  HOBBY'S  OWN  PET, 

"  I  am  sorry  I  cannot  come  on  shore  to  say  one  more  good-bye  to  my  Tooty. 
I  know  that  horrid  Captain  Dasher  will  be  with  you  at  the  pic-nic  about  this  time  ; 
but  my  pet  will  keep  him  at  a  distance.  Don't  give  the  dog  too  much  meat,  and 
discharge  that  saucy  maid  of  yours,  find  out  if  you  can  to  what  ship  her  fellow  belongs, 
his  name  is  James  Green. 

"  I  almost  cry  when  I  think  how  lonely  you  must  be,  poor  Tooty,  keep  up  your 
spirits.  Tell  the  gardener  to  discharge  his  boys,  and  send  all  the  peaches  to  the 
fruiterers.  Keep  the  cellar  key  yourself,  and  if  my  brother  visits  you,  give  him  bin 
three,  port,  it  is  good  enough  for  a  curate.  How  will  my  pet  get  on  without  me. 
Keep  up  your  music,  and  don't  paint  your  dear  little  face,  don't  you  remember  how 
people  laughed  at  me  at  the  archery  meeting,  when  I  wiped  Tooty's  face  and  the  stuff 
came  off. 

"  Pretend  to  be  gay,  and  show  the  envious  ones  that  you  are  happy — don't  waltz, 
darling  pet.  Doctor  Muddle  says,  it's  the  very  worst  exercise  you  can  take,  slow  dances 
are  not  so  bad.  I  hope  you  will  visit  your  relations  as  much  as  possible,  particularly 
those  who  do  not  wish  you  to  invite  them  in  return. 

"  I  have  a  pair  of  your  dear  little  bootikins,  which  stand  in  my  cabin,  I  look  at 
them  with  tears  in  my  eyes. 

"  Put  the  servants  on  board  wages  when  you  are  absent. 

"  With  a  billion  kisses  from  your  own  doting 

"KOBKRT    PUPPETGH." 


38  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

Tooty  screamed  with  delight  when  she  read  this  letter,  but  followed  her  own 
inclinations  in  spite  of  its  warnings. 

The  lieutenants  and  other  commissioned  officers  were  in  their  respective  cabins, 
emulating  their  captain's  example  in  letter-writing.  Crushe  scrawled  two  epistles 
which  ran  as  follows : — 

«  "  Stinger,  at  SpitTiead, 

"  16  November. 
"  MY  BELOVED  AUNT, 

"  Providence  has  ordained  that  I  shall  be  chastened  by  being  separated 
from  those  I  love.  I  kiss  the  rod,  and  submit  with  resignation. 

"  You  will  be  happy  to  hear,  my  dear  aunt,  that  I  am  in  a  ship  where  the  voice  is 
raised  in  supplication,  and  where  we  can  meet,  when  we  choose,  for  mutual  improve- 
ment. One  of  our  officers,  named  Cravan,  is  seriously  seeking,  and  I  trust  will  become 
a  shining  light.  I  gave  your  beautiful  tracts  to  our  boatswain,  a  most  worthy  young 
inquirer,  who,  I  doubt  not,  will  make  good  use  of  them.  He  remarked,  "  if  he  had 
ten  times  as  many  they  would  be  acceptable,"  which  gratified  me  exceedingly.  We 
were  obliged  to  flog  that  wretched  man,  Clare,  yesterday.  I  did  all  I  could  for  him, 
but  he  was  hardened,  and  refused  a  tract  offered  him  by  the  boatswain.  I  enclose  my 
mite  towards  the  Reverend  Mr.  Bulpurp's  chapel,  give  it  him,  with  my  humble  prayers 
for  the  cause. 

"  My  poor  wife  still  refuses  to  join  our  blessed  band,  and  therefore  will  not  visit 
you.  I  am  much  concerned  about  her  hereafter.  She  refused  to  read  that  excellent 
book  you  gave  me  for  her  special  perusal.  You  may  remember  it  was  called  "  Beauty 
a  Sin ; "  pray  for  her,  dear  aunt,  and  for  your  unworthy  nephew, 

"HOWARD  CRUSHE." 

(No  date.) 
"DEAR  MARY, 

"Another  of  your  weak  compositions  has  reached  me  ;  how  foolish  you  are 
to  waste  your  time  in  endeavouring  to  make  me  believe  you  care  for  me.  I  have  no 
money  to  send  you.  Ask  your  doting  father  for  some.  So  you  still  refuse'to  visit  my 
aunt,  and  assist  me  to  secure  her  money. 

"  Very  good  ;  until  you  do  this  I  shall  not  answer  another  of  your  letters. 

"  Your  afft.  husband, 

"HOWARD  CRUSHE." 

When  Crushe's  aunt  perused  her  letter  she  wiped  her  eyes,  declared  "  he  was  too 
good  a  husband  for  such  a  wife,"  and  sitting  down  wrote  an  order  for  one  hundred 
pounds,  which  she  forwarded  to  his  agents,  with  directions  to  place  the  same  to  her 
nephew's  account. 

His  wife  read  hers  with  a  sad  heart,  and  when  she  had  received  its  last  keen  stab, 
cried  bitterly,  and  wished  the  grave  might  soon  be  her  resting-place. 

The  manly  fellow  who  wrote  them  anticipated  these  results. 


LIEUTENANT  FORD  TO  MISS 


"DEAREST  FLORENCE, 

"  I  have  but  a  few  seconds  in  which  to  scratch  farewell.  Your  letter  of 
yesterday  reached  me.  I  did  not  know  that  Clare's  wife  had  been  your  maid.  Tell 
her  I  will  get  him  into  my  watch,  and  do  all  I  can  for  him,  for  your  dear  sake.  He 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG  "  THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE/'  30 

bore  his  punishment  nobly,  and  even  his  enemies  must  have  admired  his  courage. 
Cravan  (you  know,  the  man  who  made  himself  so  ridiculous  at  the  archery  meeting)  is 
in  our  ship.  I  never  speak  to  him  except  on  duty.  Your  sweet  miniature  shall  never 
be  parted  from  me  until  I  claim  you  as  my  wife. 

"  I  told  Clare  that  you  knew  his  wife,  and  had  interested  yourself  about  him,  and 
he  seemed  thoroughly  to  appreciate  your  good  action. 

"  "With  love  to  Kate  and  Reg.  and  Chin-chin  to  Mamma  and  Papa,  believe  me  to  be 
ever  your  devotedly  attached 

"  ERNEST. 

"H.M.S.'  Stinger,'  Spithead,  \Qth  November." 

The  gun-room  was  a  scene  of  the  most  lively  disorder.  Most  of  the  lads  were 
leaving  home  for  the  first  time,  and  consequently  had  a  great  deal  to  communicate  to 
their  friends,  yet  every  now  and  then  they  would  cease  writing,  and  turn  their  attention 
to  squabbling  with  their  neighbours  about  desk  room. 

The  questions  of  boundary  lines  and  elbow  rights  being  settled,  these  combative 
bantams  would  challenge  each  other  "  to  cut  for  glasses  round."  The  article  divided 
for  was  by  them  facetiously  termed  "  stout ;  "  a  cask  of  this  cholera-mixture  being  on  tap 
under  the  mess-table.  Affixed  to  the  bulk-head  was  a  notice,  running  as  follows : — 

"  In  future,  any  officer  ordering  stout,  must  attend  to  the  following :  When  the 
steward  stoops  under  the  table,  he  must  whistle,  and  continue  at  this  exercise  until  his 
head  is  again  upon  a  level  with  the  mess-table.  In  default  of  which,  boots  and  other 
blunt  weapons  may  be  used. 

"  (Signed)  PALGRAVE  BROWN, 

"  Caterer." 

This  stringent  regulation  was  the  result  of  a  tendency  on  the  part  of  their  steward 
to  remain  unnecessarily  long  under  the  table,  when  ordered  to  draw  the  delectable 
beverage  for  his  superiors. 

The  said  steward  was  a  hang-dog  looking  object,  who  had  bolted  from  servitude 
under  a  parish  undertaker,  and  sought  peace  on  board  a  man-of-war,  yet  found  it  not, 
having  exchanged  one  weak  tyrant  for  several  bullying,  inconsistent,  savage  little 
Neros.  Some  of  the  youngsters,  taking  their  cue  from  Crushe,  seemed  to  think  the 
only  way  they  could  show  their  authority  was  by  domineering  over  the  wretched  ser- 
vant ;  and  in  spite  of  Ryan  and  other  gentlemen,  would  vent  their  spleen  upon  the  poor 
fellow,  treating  him  as  if  he  were  destitute  of  feelings. 

Between  decks  forward  the  crew  took  leave  of  their  friends  according  to  their 
various  temperaments ;  some  yawned,  and  told  of  faithful  and  faithless  loves,  vowing 
one  good-bye  was  enough  for  most  women,  while  they  never  would  cease  to  remember 
others  with  whom  they  had  consorted.  A  few  stretched  themselves  out  on  the  bags  in 
the  rack  forward,  and  dropped  off  into  a  broken  sleep,  from  which  they  would  start 
with  a  wondering  air,  observing  to  those  around  them  that  they  "  was  werry  near  off 
that  time." 

Seated  near  the  cook's  galley  was  a  careworn-looking  sailor,  cheek  on  hand,  evidently 
so  deeply  buried  in  thought  as  to  be  quite  unconscious  of  the  babel  around  him.  He 
was  thinking  of  the  past,  when,  in  spite  of  mother's  prayers  and  father's  warning,  he 
determined  to  leave  his  home  and  enter  the  navy.  Bitterly  he  regretted  the  unspoken 
compliance  which  rose  to  his  lips,  when  his  mother  begged  him  "  not  to  go  to  sea,  but 
stay  to  comfort  her  in  her  old  age,"  and,  angered  by  the  silence  of  his  father,  he  steeled 
his  heart  against  them,  and  the  words,  "  Father,  I'm  wrong ;  forgive  me,"  were  never 
uttered. 


40  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVENTUKES  OF 

He  remembered  how,  when  leaving  their  cottage,  he  heard  the  old  man  angrily- 
refuse  to  call  him  back,  saying,  "  He  don't  mean  it,  and  will  be  home  again  in  a  few 
days."  He  nearly  faltered  then,  but  dreaded  the  kindly  laugh  which  would  follow  if 
he  returned.  Brave  heart  to  face  the  lash  and  degradation,  rather  than  submit  to  the 
will  of  one  who  loved  him,  although  he  was  a  little  harsh  at  times. 

He  left  them  in  anger,  and  never  afterwards  communicated  his  whereabouts,  or  sent 
them  a  word  of  comfort ;  but  he  was  never  out  of  their  thoughts,  and  their  last  years 
were  racked  with  torturing  anxiety  on  his  account.  After  a  long  absence,  he  returned 
to  England,  and  bent  his  steps  towards  his  native  village,  thinking  with  the  gold  ho 
had  earned  to  cheer  his  aged  parents,  and  heal  their  bruised  hearts — wondering,  as  he 
passed  along  the  streets,  why  the  people  stared  so;  mistaking  children  for  their  parents, 
and  taking  young  men  for  old,  in  his  eager  desire  to  be  recognized  by  some  one.  The 
very  ale-house  sign  was  cold  in  its  appearance,  and  swung  lazily  OH  its  hinges,  as  if  to 
wave  him  off.  "  I  don't  know  you,"  said  the  children.  "  I  don't  know  you,"  echoed  the 
trees — and  the  whole  place  seemed  to  enter  a  protest  against  his  re-appearance  among 
them.  "  "Well,  never  mind !  mother  will  know  me,"  he  thought;  "and  father  will  be 
glad  to  see  me,  I  dare  say ; "  and  he  turned  down  the  lane  in  which  stood  his  home. 
An  old  woman  was  in  the  porch.  He  shouted  to  her,  "  Mammy,  here's  Joe,"  upon 
which  she  tottered  in  and  closed  the  door. 

"  What ! "  he  bawled,  "  up  to  your  old  tricks,  mammy,  hiding  again  ?  Come,  let 
me  in,  I'm  real  glad  to  see  you."  As  he  said  this,  he  reached  the  threshold  and  rapped 
playfully,  to  hasten  her  re-appearance. 

As  no  answer  was  given,  he  lifted  the  latch  and  walked  into  the  house,  where  he 
was  confronted  by  the  woman,  who  ordered  him  to  "  begone  and  not  worrit  her."  He 
gazed  on  the  old  crone  in  speechless  amazement,  until  she  again  urged  him  to  depart, 
upon  which  he  mumbled  something  about  "  her  not  being  his  mother." 

The  woman,  finding  he  was  much  affected,  tendered  him  a  seat,  and  he  soon  learned 
that  his  father  was  sleeping  calmly  by  the  side  of  his  faithfjil  spouse,  in  the  village 
churchyard.  He  got  up  and  walked  to  that  place  like  one  in  a  dream.  When  he  stood 
by  their  neglected  graves  the  choke  rose  in  his  throat,  and  bitterly  he  repented  the  sad 
consequences  of  his  rash  step. 

The  old  sexton  seeing  some  one  at  the  graves,  thought  possibly  he  might  be  a 
relation  of  those  buried  there ;  so  he  hobbled  to  his  side,  and  with  parrot-like 
volubility  told  him,  •'  there  lies  two  good  old  folks,  who  died  broken-hearted  because 
their  boy  left  them  to  go  to  sea,  and  was  never  again  heard  of ;  "  and  the  sailor  felt  his 
utter  loneliness,  that  he  was  an  outcast,  a  very  dog,  with  no  one  in  the  world  to  love 
or  care  for  him. 

These  thoughts  came  crowding  into  his  brain,  and  he  writhed  under  the  magic  of 
their  influence.  However,  after  a  time  they  left  him,  when  he  arose,  and  preluding 
the  transformation  with  an  oath,  became  once  more  a  rough,  callous  fellow,  "  a  daring, 
reckless  sailor." 

A  knot  of  ordinary  seamen  and  boys  were  collected  around  one  old  tar,  who  was 
evidently  "  a  man  Of  mark  among1  them."  This  ancient  mariner  did  not  impart  choice 
moral  instructions  to  his  audience  ;  far  from  it,  he  was  what  they  called  "  yarning," 
and  his  reminiscences  savoured  of  ba*k  slums  and  low  dens,  but  were  not  on  that 
account  less  interesting  to  those  about  him.  When  he  laughed  they  followed  suit,  and 
•woe  betide  the  man  who  dared  contradict  "  Old  Jemmy,"  or  for  one  moment  doubt  the 
veracity  of  his  "  tough  ones  : ''  while  instant  squashment  would  be  the  doom  of  anv 
boy  who  did  not  laugh  louder  or  believe  more  implicitly  than  the  men.  Offerings  of 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG         THE    HEATHEN    OHINEE.  4:1 

grog  and  tobacco  were  made  by  his  obsequious  admirers,  and  he  was  in  that  condition 
graphically  described  by  sailors  as  "  werry  tight." 

" Does  any  o'  you  remember  Limpin  Lew?  "  demanded  this  old  man,  adding  par 
thetically,  "  I  suppose  none  of  you  ever  knowed  her,  though." 

"  I  knowed  her  rayther ! "  squeaked  a  small  boy,  who  was  standing  on  a  shot  rack, 
so  as  to  get  a  full  view  of  the  old  Tycoon's  face. 

"  Did  you  ?  "  mumbled  the  ancient  mariner.  "  I  should  like  to  know  how  the  likes 
of  you  became  ack-vainted  with  sich  an  elegant  field-male  ?  "  saying  which  this  oracle 
placed  a  plug  of  tobacco  between  his  toothless  jaws,  and  looked  round  until  he  spied  out 
the  small  boy,  who,  being  thus  challenged,  retorted — 

"  Vy  shouldn't  I  know  her,  vhen  she  drinked  herself  to  death  at  my  f author's  ?  " 
"  Your  father's !  who's  your  father  ?  "  growled  the  patriarch. 

"  Bill  Jordun,  wot  keeps  the  Blue  Postes  at  Portsea — he's  as  good  a  man  as  you, 
anyhow." 

Much  to  the  astonishment  of  the  spectators,  the  daring  child  was  not  slain,  or 
maimed  for  life  ;  but  with  a  look  of  the  most  profound  admiration,  the  hoary  sinner 
drew  forth  his  tobacco  box,  which  he  tendered  to  the  lad,  requesting  him  to  "  help 
hisself,"  remarking  as  he  did  so,  "  Wot !  the  kid  of  my  old  chum  Bill  ?  Lord  love 
you,  sit  down  along  side  of  me ,  vy,  I've  been  as  tight  as  an  owl  at  your  old  man's 
many's  the  time.  I'll  be  as  good  as  a  father  to  you,  my  boy  ;  see  if  I  don't " 

The  ancient  mariner  religiously  kept  his  word — with  a  rope's  end — and  the  lad 
repeatedly  had  occasion  to  "  anything  but  bless  "  the  memory  of  "  that  elegant  field- 
male  Limpin  Lew." 

A  few  of  the  men  were  seated  at  their  mess-tables,  scrawling  off  their  epistolary 
farewells.  Tom  Clare  was  one  of  these — crippled  as  he  was,  he  managed  to  write  to 
his  wife. 

H.  M.  8.  Stinger, 

Nov.  16, 

"  DEAR  POLLY, 

"  We  leave  in  a  few  hours  for  a  foreign  station,  it  is  now  all  past,  and  I  am 
wot  they  cal  a  free  man  once  again.  Tell  her,  the  angell  as  you  knows, — I  menshun 
no  name  for  fear  of  accident, — that  I  thank  her  for  her  kindness  to  you.  I  wait  patient 
until  I  see  you  again.  Love  to  Mother  and  Father.  I  have  you  always  in  my  hart 
until  death  do  us  part.  God  bless  my  wife. 

"  From  Thomas  Clare,  A.  B.,  to  Mrs.  Clare,  care    of  Mrs.  Morks,  41,  John  Street, 
Portsmouth,  or  if  not  there,  to  Mrs.  Clare,  Kingsdown,  near  Deal,  Kent. 
"  Write  soon,  she  will  tell  you  were  too, 

"  TOM  CLARE." 

Mr.  Thompson  not  only  wrote  to  Mary  Ann,  but  also  in  consideration  of  sundry 
glasses  of  grog,  acted  as  amanuensis  to  several  of  his  shipmates.  The  letter  to  his 
intended  running  thus : — 

Pen.tonwitte,  afloat  off  Spithead. 
"  DEAR  Miss  MARY  ANN  Ross,  Perfection  in  Wimen, 

"  This  comes  opin  to  find  you  well  as  leafs  me  at  present  with  a  full  intenshun 
to  bolt  as  soon  as  i  gets  harf  a  chans. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  ad  your  brother  in  lawer  is  a  brute,  i  knowed  he  were  a  mene  kus 
but  i  did  not  think  'im  wishous,  being  a  perfec  tyerant. 

"  He  gave  us  a  trete  a  flakin   pore  T.  Clare,  i  was  horri-fied  and  his  pore  wife  a 


4:2  BLUE   JACKETS  ;    OK,    THE   ADVENTURES   OF 

» 

faintin  over  the  ship's  side,  and  the  skipper  as  hard  as  a  stone,  which  i  hope  she  will 
bolt  with  some  good  looking  feller  and  drive  him  into  a  lunatic  a-sylum.  T.  Clare 
behaved  like  a  brie — butenuf  of  those  melancholy  subjex  which  I  dismiss  "with  love  to 
Mrs.  Shever  and  wishin  her  a  better  husband  that  i  feels  as  if  i  would  like  to  punch 
his  edd. 

"  P.  S.  ulve  my  love  to  your  cousin  Amelia,  alsow  to  that  red-ed-ded  gal  the  cook 
next  door,  if  so  be  you  don't  objex,  she  avin  a  bligh  of  my  sister  Fanne  in  Australia. 

"  P.  S.  Remember  me,  Horatio,  to  the  sarjunt,  but  don't  allow  no  other  soljar  nere 
your  lips,  dere  Mary  Ann. 

"  P.  S.  P.  S.  Minde  you  keep  clear  of  that  young  Carpenter  who  is  after  no  goode. 

"P.  S.  If  this  should  meat  the  high  of  the  cook,  give  her  my  love,  also  a  kiss  if  you 
don't  objex. 

"  P.  S.  S.  S.  S.  S.  We  are  going  to  the  Cape  of  Good  ope  tomorro  before  breakfast,  so 
dri  your  tears,  dispell  your  fears,  for  true  you'll  always  find  me  i  must  and  will  return 
again  to  the  girl  i  left  behind  me.  4 

"  JERRY  THOMPSON,  A.  B.  on  board  H.  M.  Ship  Stinger.     Seamen's  Letter  bag." 

Mr.  Price,  the  boatswain's  mate,  not  being  able  to  write  to  his  good  lady  himself,  had 
captured  a  bull-headed  boy  and  under  threat  of  dire  torment  compelled  him  to  write  to 
his  dictation.  The  lad  was  directed  to  "  chalk  down "  every  word  his  persecutor 
uttered,  and  he  followed  his  instructions  with  Chinese  exactness. 

Every  now  and  then  the  bull-headed  one  would  thrust  out  his  tongue,  square  his 
elbows  and  settle  close  to  the  paper,  until  there  seemed  every  probability  of  his  resting 
his  cheek  upon  the  letter  and  indulging  in  a  short  slumber.  "When  Price  saw  the 
closely-cropped  poll  inclining  paperwards,  he  would  seize  his  victim  by  the  scruff  of 
the  neck  with  his  left  hand,  while  his  right  would  be  operating  upon  the  person  of  the 
secretary  with  a  motion  which  rapidly  took  the  kink  out  of  his^  vertebra,  and  made  him 
sit  as  upright  as  a  soldier:  "  If  you  goes  a  kissin  of  the  paper  again  I'll  rope's  end 
you !  "  said  Price,  after  having  jerked  his  clerk  into  position  for  the  tenth  time. 

This* is  the  result  of  Price's  system. 

"  16  Nov.  —  Mind  your  i  am  going  to  write  a  few  lines  hold  up  your  head  you 
d — ear  Eliza  we  are  going  to  leave  for  a  furrin,  isn't  so  I  say  it  is,  f urrin  station 
to-morrow.  Now  then  keep  up  my  half  pay  note  is  given  to  the  paymaster  you  infernal 
little  f — ond  line.  All  my  clothes  was  right  but  a  nod  sock  right  on  the  paper  none  of 
your  lip  and  the  ditty  box  lid  was  broke  you  young  warmint.  I'll  give  you  something 
to  wake  you  up  in  love  to  Meryar  hold  your  jaw  also  my  respects  to  Mister  Mags  wot 
keeps  the  Red  Lion. — keep  up  and  be  —  also  to  all  inquirin  friends  lay  down  again  and 
I'll  give  you  this  rope's  end  which  you  knowS.  We  flaked  Ths.  Clare  and  I  hurt  my 
wrist  a  so  doing  and  will  give  you  just  the  same  if  you  don't  mind  your  high.  If  you 
can  write  me  W.  Price  boatswains  mate  starboard  watch  H.  M.  S.  Stinger  Cape  of  G-ood 
ope  or  elsewear  to  be  forwarded  if  left  till  called  for,  lord  bless  you  all  I'll  cut  you 
in  halves  if  you  go  a  kissin  agin  like  that,  your  lovely  husband,  BILL  PRICE." 

(Mrs.  Price  was  somewhat  puzzled  with  the  foregoing,  but  finding  the  half-pay 
came  in  regularly,  she  consoled  herself  with  that,  and  telling  her  neighbours  "  that  her 
Bill  was  off  his  chump.") 

On  the  morning  of  the  17th  November  the  Stinger  got  under  weigh,  and  after 
saluting  the  flag  of  Admiral  *  *  *,  steamed  slowly  down  the  British  Channel. 

The  last  link  of  the  chain,  supposed  to  bind  folks  to  their  native  land,  having  been 
severed  the  Stingers  turned  their  faces  towards  the  future,  and  their  more  immediate 
attention  to  matters  connected  with  securing  boats  and  anchors. 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      43 

The  screw  continued  its  music,  and  rattled  away  at  a  tune  which,  lasted,  with 
intervals,  until  the  ship  returned  to  England.  It  was  an  auxilliary  screw — a  noisy, 
bumptious,  mad  little  article — going  off  with  a  bang,  as  if  desirous  of  giving  every  one 
a  headache  ;  after  which  it  would  undergo  a  paroxysm,  and  worry  at  a  great  rate — at 
first  free  and  strong,  then  gradually  quieting  down  to  a  dead  strain,  like  a  blind 
man's  dog  when  held  in  by  its  owner.  Thus  people  who  did  not  know  the  secret  of  its 
weakness  would  imagine  it  a  very  powerful,  hard-working  auxiliary. 

Sometimes  it  stopped  dead,  or  jingled  like  a  tambourine,  when  Mr.  Sniff,  the  chief 
engineer,  gravely  doctoAd  it  with  pantomime  property  forceps,  which  operation  would 
somewhat  relieve  it,  and  start  it  clattering  on  its  way  again.  "When  the  wind  freshened 
it  would  drag  after  the  ship  in  a  lazy,  sulky  manner,  leaving  a  curve  of  bubbles  to 
mingle  in  her  wake  as  if  in  silent  protest  against  the  superior  force  of  its  rival.  But 
let  the  breeze  fall  light,  with  a  sudden  kick  it  would  throw  off  the  water,  rattle,  and 
rush  ;  and  when  thus  excited,  had  been  known  to  propel  the  Stinger  at  the  dizzy  rate 
of  six  knots  an  hour. 

After  they  were  out  two  days  the  commander  opened  his  despatches,  and  informed 
his  officers  that  "  they  were  bound  for  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,"  which  they  already 
knew,  although  not  officially. 

"  Going  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  !  hurrah  !  "  cried  Jerry  Thompson,  who  had  not 
scrupled  to  listen  to  the  communication  made  by  Puffeigh  to  the  first  lieutenant. 
"  Going  to  the  Cape,  my  boys ;  hurrah  for  fat-tailed  sheep  and  Cape  smoke ! "  It 
seems  Thompson  had  been  there  before. 

Clare  was  placed  in  Lieutenant  Ford's  watch.  He  went  about  his  work  in  a  quiet, 
unassuming  manner,  and  became  a  prime  favourite  of  that  officer.  No  one  interfered 
with  him,  and  he  would  never  trouble  his  shipmates  except  on  matters  of  duty. 

Captain  Puffeigh  took  a  great  fancy  to  Thompson ;  and  one  day  called  him,  and 
questioned  him  as  to  his  antecedents.  "  Have  you  not  sailed  with  me  somewhere,  my 
man  ?  "  demanded  the  commander.  "  It's  my  brother  you  know,  sir,"  replied  the 
scamp.  "  We're  so  werry  much  alike,  that  our  mother  don't  know  us."  This  remark 
partly  satisfied  Puffeigh,  who  thereupon  rated  Jerry  to  be  his  coxswain.  "  I  know  I've 
seen  you  somewhere,  though,  he  repeated.  "  My  eyesight  isn't  first-rate,  but  I  seem  to 
remember  your  features." 

It  was  probably  a  very  good  thing  for  the  coxswain  that  Puffeigh's  vision  was 
imperfect. 

The  Stinger  made  the  oest  of  her  way  Capewaras,  and  Crushe  relieved  the  dullness  of 
the  passage  by  experimenting  on  the  endurance  of  the  crew.  Five  times  the  gratings 
Were  rigged,  and  the  disgraceful  farce  of  justice  enacted,  five  men  broken  into  obedience, 
or  rendered  worse  demons  than  before. 

The  ship,  however,  in  due  time  arrived  in  Simon's  Bay,  and  proceeded  to  refit. 
The  first  order  given  being  "  no  leave  allowed  to  any  one  while  we  are  in  this  place." 

Commander  Puffeigh  accepted  the  hospitality  of  one  of  the  merchant  houses,  and 
took  Jerry  on  dhore  to  act  as  his  valet.  While  there  an  adventure  befell  them,  which 
We  will  narrate  in  the  next  chapter. 


BLUE   JACKETS  j   OK,   THE   ADVENTUKES   OF 


CHAPTER  VH. 

BEING  appointed  captain's  coxswain  and  valet  suited  Thompson  to  a  nicety,  and  it 
was  amusing  to  see  how  he  adapted  himself  to  his  new  position,  as  from,  a  merry  wag 
he  siiddenly  quieted  down  into  a  solemn-looking  fellow.  "We  hardly  need  say  this  was 
all  assumption  on  his  part,  but  "  quiet  dignity  tinged  with  a  slight  shade  of  melan- 
choly "  he  considered  the  correct  sort  of  thing  for  the  role,  and  no  one  who  saw  him 
recognized  the  gay  and  festive  youth  of  old  times. 

"  Promotion's  ruined  Thompson,"  said  the  boatswain  to  Price.  "  He  ain't  hisself. 
I  shouldn't  wonder  if  he  goes  into  a  consumption." 

"  I  wish  he  would,"  feelingly  replied  the  boatswain's  mate,  "  provided  the  captain 
would  give  me  a  chance  to  ketch  the  complaint  arter  him." 

Commander  Puffeigh  had  shipped  as  his  steward  a  young  and  aspiring  cockney,  who 
entered  the  service  with  the  full  determination  of  becoming  an  admiral,  but  finding  his 
chances  in  that  particular  direction  rather  few,  gave  up  the  idea,  and  devoted  his 
attention  to  the  acquirement  of  grand  words.  The  doctor  was  his  great  fountain-head ; 
and  when  that  gentleman  dined  with  the  captain,  Mr.  Boyldwyte  would  be  on  the  alert, 
and  listen  to  every  word  which  fell  from  the  medico's  lips. 

The  appointment  of  Jerry  in  a  double  capacity  annoyed  the  steward.  He  did  not 
mind  the  sailor  attending  to  his  master  when  on  board  ship,  but  to  be  taken  on  shore, 
and  regularly  installed  aa  captain's  valet,  was  rather  too  much  of  a  good  thing. 
Whenever,  therefore,  the  grave  face  of  Mr.  Thompson  appeared  at  his  pantry  door, 
the  steward  forthwith  would  stand  on  the  offensive.  The  sailor  knew  this,  and  aggra- 
vated his  opponent  accordingly. 

The  ship  had  been  anchored  in  Simon's  Bay  about  twenty-four  hours,  and  Puffeigh 
was  comfortably  quartered  on  shore,  before  the  coxswain  made  his  appearance  on  board 
again.  After  delivering  letters  and  messages  to  the  first  lieutenant,  he  proceeded  to  the 
Stewart's  pantry,  where  he  found  Mr.  Boyldwyte  deep  in  the  mystery  of  plate  cleaning, 
and  evidently  not  in  the  very  best  temper. 

"  Good  morning,  Mister  Biled-up,"  whispered  the  sailor. 

"  The  steward  took  up  a  spoon  and  leathered  away  as  if  quite  unconscious  of  the 
coxswain's  presence. 

"  Mr.  Biled  right !  1  begs  your  pardon,"  insinuated  the  mischievous  Jerry.  "  Im 
come  from  the  captain  with  orders,  Mr.  B." 

"  Cuss  your  Mr.  B.,  you  infernal  collyoptera ! "  retorted  the  now  thoroughly-roused 
flunkey.  "  My  name  is  Boyldwyte !  Yes,  sir,  Boyld — wyte.  I  want  none  of  your 
cheek  !  Speak  to  me  on  duty,  sir  !  Yes,  sir ! — on  duty.  I  don't  belong  to  your  class 
of  society."  Having  thus  delivered  himself,  he  stared  hard  at  Thompson,  and  breathed 
defiantly,  as  much  as  to  say,  "  I'm  ready  for  you, — come  on." 

The  coxswain-valet  smiled,  unhooked  the  half-door,  walked  into  the  pantry,  and 
took  a  seat  beside  the  ferocious  one,  who  immediately  turned  his  back  upon  him. 
When  his  anger  had  evaporated  the  steward  demanded  what  the  sailor  required,  and 
added,  "  Why  didn't  you  tell  me  when  you  come  in  ?  " 

"  My  dear  Mister  B.,  wot  with  your  colly-wotshisnames  and  other  blowings  up,  I 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."       45 

haven't  liad  a  chance  of  getting  a  word  in  edgeways.     Please  don't  use  such  teatotal 
long  words  ;  I  ain't  got  a  pocket  jaxionaiary  with  me,  you  know." 

"  Did  the  captain  give  you  any  instructions  for  my  guidance,  Mr.  Thompson  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Mr.  B.." 

"  What  was  they,  Mr.  Thompson  t  " 

"  "Well,  he  says  to  me,  says  he,  '  Jerry,  that  infernal  fool  of  mine — meaning  you — 
ain't  worth  hia  salt,  ses  he,  and  for  two  pins  I'd  sack  him  and  take  you  in  his  place.' " 

"  The  captain  made  use  of  that  observation,  did  he,  Mr.  Thompson  ?  " 

"  He  did,  Mister  B." 

"  He  were  not  speaking  anamgretically,  were  he,  Mr.  Thompson  ?  " 

"  I  dont  know  what  you  means  by  adamgratcolly.  Is  it  one  of  your  French  ragouts, 
Mister  B.  ?  " 

"  No,  it  ain't ;  I  forgot  I  was  talking  to  a  man  of  no  education,"  replied  the  steward. 
"  We'd  better  drop  the  subject." 

"  Come,  don't  be  put  out,  old  man. ;  I  was  only  joking — the  fact  was — now  this  is 
truth.  The  captain  says,  '  give  my  regards  to  Broiled-tight — beg  your  pardon,  Mister 
Boyldwyte, — and  tell  him  to  give  you  all  the  little  extras  we  require.' "  , 

"  We  !  who's  we,  Mr.  Thompson  ?  " 

Jerry  did  not  notice  him,  but  went  on.  "  We  have  lots  of  shirts  and  other  linen, 
but  we  want  more  private  brandy  and  some  solder  water,  as  ours  is  all  out^jl 

"  Mister  Thompson,  I  won't  stand  by  and  hear  the  likes  of  you,  a  person  in  your 
position  in  society,  say  we  in  eproximation  with  the  name  of  our  noble  commander.  I 
wont  stand  it,  sir." 

"  Then,"  replied  the  sailor,  "  sit  down  to  it,  my  pretty  fellow,  and  hold  your  hello- 
quence,  or  I'll  call  myself  Co.,  there  now." 

This  was  a  finisher  for  Mr.  Boyldwyte,  who  thereupon  procured  the  stores,  and  got 
rid  of  his  tormentor.  When  the  latter  received  the  packages  he  asked  if  "  there  was 
anything  in  the  message  line  for  the  captain." 

The  steward  did  not  condescend  to  reply,  so  Thompson  helped  him  to  a  parting  shot. 

"  I  say,  Mr.  B.,  can't  you  chuck  in  one  of  them  long  words  of  yours  ?  One  on  'em 
would  be  enough  to  give  all  tl»  fellers  ashore  the  colic,"  saying  which  his  face  resumed 
its  melancholy  cast ;  and  waving  a  farewell  to  his  victim,  he  went  on  shore. 

There  was  more  meaning  in  the  word  we  than  Thompson  cared  to  explain,  as  during 
the  day  time  he  fortified  himself  with  sundry  nips  of  the  captain's  private  brandy,  and 
after  dismissal  in  the  evening  would  array  himself  in  his  master's  plain  clothes,  in 
which  he  called  upon  his  acquaintances ;  so  the  terms  We  and  Co.  were  correctly  used 
by  him  when  speaking  to  the  steward. 

The  domestics  of  the  shere  establishment  in  which  they  were  located  were  coloured 
persons,  the  only  exception  being  the  housekeeper,  an  old  Irish  woman  named  Maggy, 
who,  although  a  great  admirer  of  Thompson,  was  much  too  aged  a  party  for  him  to 
think  of.  However,  in  twenty-four  hours  he  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  every 
good-looking  girl  in  the  place,  and  in  eight-and-forty  was  head-over-heels  in  love  with 
a  saffron-headed  damsel  of  the  heavy  Teutonic  order  of  architecture,  by  name  Wallburg 
Pferdscreptern. 

This  young  lady  was  the  only  child  of  a  sturdy  German,  who  dealt  in  flour,  axes 
pork,  dumb-bells,  cheese,  ales,  coffins,  wine,  fresh  beef,  hides,  soft-bread,  fat-tailed 
sheep,  and  other  luxuries  required  by  the  men-of-war  frequenting  the  place,  and  as 
labour  was  considered  honourable  in  Simon's  Bay,  the  fraulein  attended  to  the  sale 
department  of  her  papa's  store. 

Wallburg's  beauty  was  without  a  crease.     Her  very  dimples  had  long  ago  given 


46  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVENTUJBES  OF 

out,  like  the  seat  of  a  spring  chair  when  the  tyings  snap ;  she  was  one  harmonious 
whole,  and  nobody  for  a  moment  imagined  she  would  ever  fall  in  love.  Great  was  the 
excitement  in  the  Bay  when  her  mother  announced,  "  tas  fraulein  Wallburg  vas  in  lofs 
mit  ter  matrose  Scherry." 

Thus  it  came  about :  Puffeigh,  who  possessed  most  of  old  Falstaffs  weaknesses,  had, 
on  the  day  of  his  arrival,  spied  out  ULo  lovely  fraulein,  and  marked  her  as  liis  own. 
Quite  taken  in  with  his  coxswain's  quiet  manner,  he  ordered  him  to  carry  a  note  down 
to  her.  Jerry  did  so— went,  saw,  and  fell  in  love  right  away.  The  young  lady  soon 
explained  matters  in  her  most  choice  English,  and  they  determined  to  take  advantage 
of  the  old  man's  foolishness,  and  have  a  good  time  generally.  It  was  love  at  first  sight 
on  the  part  of  the  maiden, — she  had  never  been  smitten  before ;  but  Cupid  had  fixed 
her  this  time,  and  in  spite  of  "  vater  or  mutter,"  she  declared  she  would  have  her  way 
or  perish. 

Four  or  five  times  a  day  was  the  coxswain  sent  to  the  German's  store,  where  he 
delivered  the  billet-doux  of  the  amorous  Puffeigh.  When  he  had  read  those  charming 
epistles  to  the  madchen,  he  would  write  a  suitable  reply,  and  take  it  back  to  the 
delighted  oil  fellow,  his  master. 

"Was  she  pleased  to  get  my  letter?"  demanded  PufFeigh  on  one  occasion;  "did 
she  look  delighted?" 

"  Yes,  afc.     Ses  she,  •  Yaw,  yaw,  tell  dem  alten  narren  I  loaf  him  very  much.'  " 

"  What's  alten  narren,  my  man  ?  " 

"  It  means  splendid  gentleman,  sir,  in  English." 

"  You're  picking  up  German  very  fast." 

"Yes,  sir;  it's  a  picking  me  up,  sir.  I'm  learning  fast,  sir;  so  as  to  be  useful  to 
you,  sir." 

This  quite  satisfied  Puffeigh,  who  began  to  look  upon  his  new  coxswain  as  a, 
treasure,  and  a  very  model  of  circumspection  and  perfection  in  his  line. 

Jerry,  on  his  part,  would  invent  the  most  astonishing  yarns  to  get  sent  down  to 
the  store.  Sometimes  it  was,  "  her  father  was  in  the  last  time,  and  he  could  not  get  a 
chance  to  speak  to  her ; "  at  others  "  her  mother  was  there." 

"  What  is  her  mother  like?"  demanded  Puffeigh.    '  . 

"  She's  more  fatter  and  bigger  than  the  young  lady,"  replied  Thompson.  The 
captain  did  not  ask  further  questions. 

The  coxswain's  courtship  was  conducted  upon  peculiar  principles.  He  knew  the 
fraulein  disliked  to  exert  herself,  so,  upon  entering  the  little  parlour  at  the  back  of  the 
store  where  he  usually  found  her  calmly  reclining  in  a  rocking-chair,  he  would  at  once 
proceed  to  kiss  her  in  a  most  vigorous  manner.  She,  not  at  all  disliking  his  attention, 
gazed  upon  him  with  a  calmly-tickled  air;  and  when  he  was  tired  would  playfully 
3lap  him  on  the  face,  and  declare  he  "  vos  ein  goot  veller." 

After  a  pause,  he  proceeded  again  to  salute  her,  showering  the  kisses  with  sound- 
ing smack  upon  her  wax-like  features,  when  a  smile  would  extend  over  her  visage  like 
a  ripple  of  air  on  a  pan  of  oil,  and  she  would  ejaculate,  "  Scherry,  mein  hubscher 
matrose,  runs  av.ay  vroin  der  schips  und  marrys  me,"  to  which  Jerry  would  reply  with 
another  consignment  of  kisses, — "Yaw,  yaw,  Wall-ker;"  from  this  the  fraulein 
imagined  he  would  desert,  and  marry  her  when  the  ship  was  gone.  "  I  loves  you 
vorse  den  nopodys  else,  Scherry,"  gurgled  his  fair  seducer.  This  was  the  signal  for 
more  kisses,  and  a  fervent  avowal  of  affection  on  the  part  of  the  coxswain. 

One  morning  Captain  Puffeigh  informed  his  valet,  in  great  confidence  that  "  their 
destination  on  leaving  the  Cape  would  be  the  East  Indies :"  so  during  the  day  Jerry 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      47 

broke  the  news  to  his  enslaver,  and  declared  it  would  be  madness  for  him  to  attempt  to 
run  away. 

The  information  was  a  tremendous  blow  to  Miss  Wallburg,  who  replied,  "  I  veelg 
so  pad  at  ter  news,  that  I  almost  bust  with  deers."  This  catastrophe  was  averted  by  a 
scientific  application  of  kisses  on  the  part  of  her  lover. 

Miss  Pferdscreptern  was  very  desirous  of  knvf.  ing  all  about  India, — how  far  off  it 
was,  &c.,  &c.,  the  following  conversation  taking  place  upon  the  subject :  , 

"  India  crate  vays  vrom  here,  Scherry  ?  " 

"  Worry  long  way,  Wallbug." 

"  Plack  mans,  Caffres,  dere  too,  Scherry  ?  " 

Thompson  was  quite  posted,  so  he  replied,  "  Well,  they're  coppery  like,  Wallbug — 
coppery  like,  my  gal." 

"  How  don't  dey  know  much  dere,  Scherry  ?" 

"  Well,  Wallbug,  you  see,  being  uncivilized,  they're  savage ;  and  being  savage, 
they  .sometimes  kills  and  eats  each  other."  Jerry  began  to  suspect  she  wanted  to  follow 
him,  so  he  invented  this  to  frighten  her. 

"  Does  dey  have  no  rights  to  do  dat  ? "  gasped  the  fraulein,  who  was  immensely 
interested  with  the  replies  of  her  Othello.  "  Does  dey  have  no  rights  to  do  noting  vot 
dey  never  does  ?  " 

This  was  rather  a  puzzler  for  the  sailor,  who  replied,  "  You  see  as  how  it's  somemat 
like  flogging  ;  they  hasn't  no  right  to  do  it  always  as  they  does,  but  they  do  it  never- 
theless." After  delivering  this  opinion  Jerry  refreshed  himself  with  a-  few  kisses  of  a 
choice  and  deliberate  kind. 

When  sTae  had  recovered  from  the  effects  of  the  attack,  the  madchen  sadly  observed, 
"  Ach,  Scherry,  dere's  beeples  all  over  der  vorld  dat  does  dem  sort  of  tings  vot  dey 
never  ought  to  did." 

Whether  she  referred  to  the  East  Indians  or  Thompson  we  know  not,  but  the  latter 
cut  short  all  further  remarks  by  another  and  more  frantic  attack  upon  her  ruby  lips. 

Wallburg's  papa  was  very  little  seen  at  the  store,  his  chief  duty  being  to  board 
the  ships  when  they  came  into  the  bay,  bask  in  the  sun  while  they  remained  there,  and 
collect  his  money  from  themffcn  their  departure.  No  one  informed  him  of  his 
daughter's  indiscretion  for  some  time  ;  and  when  they  did,  upon  his  mildly  expostulat- 
ing with  her,  he  was  told  to  "  mind  his  own  business ;  "  he  accordingly  did  so,  but  at 
the  same  time  determined  to  be  revenged  upon  the  fellow  who  was  causing  his  little 
one  to  be  so  lightly  spoken  of,  and  he  observed  to  a  friend,  "  Schust  vait  dill  I  ketshold 
of  der  veller,  I  vil  kiv  him  vits."  Jerry  was  too  smart,  however ;  and  the  whole  time 
the  ship  was  in  port  the  parent  never  set  eyes  on  him. 

The  day  before  the  Stinger  departed  Puffeigh  determined,  come  what  might,  to  risk 
an  interview  with  the  charming  girl  who  had  written  so  many  loving  letters  to'  him. 
In  vain  his  coxswain  represented  the  danger  to  be  great,  and  the  chance  of  seeing  her 
alone  very  small :  go  he  -would. 

He  dressed  himself  in  his  most  killing  uniform,  and  in  about  three  P.  M.  walked 
gently  down  to  the  store.  Seeing  the  fair  fraulein  seated  upon  a  bale  of  goods  waiting 
for  a  customer,  he  thought  the  coast  was  clear,  and  boldly  marched  in. 

Considering  the  numerous  loving  passages  in  her  letters,  the  young  lady's  reception 
'was  rather  a  cool  one.  He,  however,  smiled  on  her,  bowed,  and  said,  "  I'm  Captain 
Puffeigh  of  Her  Majesty's  ship  Stinger." 

"  You  Captain  Buffy  ?     Ye-as  ?  "  interrogated  the  lady. 

"  Yes,  my  dear,  I  am  he  who  has  so   often  been  delighted  with  your — "     Here  he 


4:8  BLUE  JACKETS;  OB,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

advanced,  and  was  about  to  grasp  her  plump  hand,  when  she  gave  a  little  scream,  and 
exclaimed,  "  Gott  in  Himmel.  Mein  vater  !  " 

"  What  ?  Your  father  ?  The  deuce  !"  exclaimed  Puffeigh,  looking  round  him  with 
a  bewildered  air ;  upon  which  Miss  Pferdscreptejn,  springing  from  her  seat  with  a 
vivacity  she  rarely  evinced,  pointed  to  a  narrow  door,  which  the  gallant  captain 
hurriedly  dashed  open,  darting  into  vhat  proved  to  be  a  flour-shoot,  the  young  lady 
immediately  turning  the  button  which  fastened  it. 

There  was  no  help  for  it.  Puffeigh  could  "  brave  the  raging  of  the  sea,  but  not  an 
angry  father."  Soon  he  heard  the  guttural  voice  of  old  Pferdscreptern,  who  loudly 
demanded  of  his  daughter  "  vere  vos  dat  tarn  sailor  who  vos  schust  gome  into  der 
store  ?  "  The  commander  trembled,  not  from  fear,  of  course,  so  it  must  have  been  from 
the  effects  of  the  flour. 

The  old  German  was  upon  the  rampage  for  some  time,  until  at  last,  being  assured 
by  his  "  kind  "  "  dat  the  man  vos  not  dere,"  he  quieted  down,  and  calling  for  his  pipe, 
was  soon  lost  to  view  in  a  cloud  of  smoke.  ^ 

About  a  quarter  of  an  hour  elapsed,  when  the  lovely  frauleiri,  finding  her  father 
asleep,  proceeded  to  mount  up  into  the  loft,  where,  with  the  ready  help  of  Jerry,  who 
had  been  there  all  the  time,  she  raised  the  board  which  usually  covered  the  shoot,  and 
having  untied  a  sack  of  flour,  she  shot  the  contents  down  upon  the  imprisoned  captain. 

Half -choked,  blindedrf  and  mad,  he  burst  the  latch  and  staggered  into  the  store.  Up 
jumped  the  parent  Pferdscreptern,  seized  a  cowhide,  and  laid  it  right  vigorously  across 
the  whitened  figure.  The  flour  flew  all  over  the  place,  and  the  captain  darted  about 
like  a  man  playing  blind-man's  buff,  his  assailant  holding  on  to  his  coat-tails  during  the 
last  part  of  the  exercise,  and  occasionally  varying  the  programme  with  a  well-directed 
kick.  At  length,  becoming  somewhat  exhausted,  he  let  his  victim  go,  upon  which 
Puffeigh  gasped  out,  "  Wa  !  what  the  deuce  is  all  this  outrage  for,  sir  ?  Do  you  know 
who  I  am  ?" 

"  You — schust1 — kit — out,  and  tousent — gifs — no — more — scheek  !  "  panted  the  irate 
Teuton.  "  Let  me  catch  you  mit  my  kind  agin  and  I  vill  make  it  much  hotter  dan  it 
vas  not  dis  time,  mine  friend.  I  tousant  care  ein  heller  who  you  ist.  Shust  you  kit 
out,  dat's  all ;  I'm  capden  of  dis  schanty."  4 

Puffeigh  left  the  store  a  wiser  and  more  subdued  man.  As  he  passed  the  cause  of 
his  trouble  he  imagined  she  was  crying,  her  apron  being  thrown  over  her  head  and  her 
shoulders  heaving  as  if  with  grief.  But  Wallburg  did  not  cry.  The  strong  convulsion 
moving  her  frame  was  not  that  of  woe ;  and  when  her  father  came  to  her  and  spoke 
kindly,  she  threw  off  the  covering,  and  fairly  roared — with  laughter. 

When  the  commander  reached  his  quarters  he  found  no  one  about,  so  slipped  up  to 
his  bed-room,  where  Jerry  was  sitting  on  a  chair  as  if  fast  asleep. 

"  Lord  bless  us !  "  said  the  valet,  "  has  it  been  a  snowln'  ?  " 

Muttering  something  about  "  being  attacked  and  nearly  killed,"  Puffeigh  directed 
his  man  to  get  a  change  of  clothes.  When  he  was  comfortably  arranged  he  turned  to 
his  coxswain  and  asked  him  "  if  he  could  keep  a  secret  ?  "  ( 

"  Any  amount  of  'em,  sir,"  replied  the  sailor. 

"  Then  forget  you  have  ever  seen  me  in  such  a  pickle,  my  man.  The  day  you 
remember  it  will  be  a  bad  one  for  you.  There's  a  shilling  for  you." 

"  You're  too  generous,  sir,"  said  the  amused  valet. 

The  next  morning  Puffeigh  announced  to  his  host  that  he  must  at  once  take  up  his 
residence  on  board  ship  ;  and  much  to  his  man's  sorrow,  he  ordered  him  "  to  pack  his 
traps  and  take  them  on  board." 

It  was  nearly  sunset  before  «erry  got  off,  and  the  traps  were  packed  in  anything 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    "  THE    HEATHEN   CHINEE. 

but  a  neat  manner.  The  truth  was,  the  coxswain  lingered  with  the  fair  Wallburg,  snd 
had  almost  made  up  his  mind  not  to  go  at  all,  but  a  little  calculation  determined 
him.  "  If  she  weighs  one  hundred  and  ninety  pounds  when  she  is  nineteen  years  old, 
what  will  she  turn  when  she's  thirty-eight  ?  "  thought  he.  This  and  his  snug  berth  of 
coxswain  outweighed  her  tempting  offer,  and  with  one  last  fond  kiss,  somewhere  about 
the  ten-thousandth,  the  distracted  lover  tore  himself  away. 

There  was  the  usual  hard  work  going  on  in  the  ship  during  the  time  they  remained 
in  the  bay  :  the  men  slaved  all  day,  and  sang  or  fished  in  the  evening.  After  a  lapse  of 
four  days  the  Stinger  slipped  from  her  moorings  and  proceeded  out  to  sea.  They  left 
Simon's  Bay  with  little  regret,  and  as  the  land  grew  dim  in  their  vision  there  was  but 
one  man  on  board  who  wished  himself  back. 

"  I  shall  never  have  such  a  big  chance  again,"  Jerry  observed  to  Mr.  Boyldwyte,  as 
they  strained  their  eyes  in  the  direction  of  the  land. 

"  What  chance  do  you  elude  to,  Mr.  Thompson  ?  " 

"  Ah,  cockney,  wouldn't  you  like  to  know  ?  " 

We  regret  this  inconstancy  to  his  old  love,  Mary  Ann,  on  the  part  of  Jerry.  Our 
only  explanation  is,  that  he  had  an  accommodating  heart,  and  was  a  sailor  who 

"  In  every  mess  would  find  a  friend, 
In  every  port  a  wife." 


50  BLUE  JACKETS:   OR,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 


CHAPTER  VHI. 

The  Stinger  made  the  best  of  her  way  towards  the  East  Indies,  it  being  rumoured 
that  a  portion  of  the  Russian  fleet  was  sailing  in  that  direction,  having  been  shut  out 
of  Sebastopol  by  the  rapid  action  of  the  allied  fleets  of  France  and  England. 

The  day  after  leaving  the  Cape,  Puffeigh  was  taken  seriously  ill,  his  sickness 
proving  to  be  brain  fever,  doubtless  caused  by  the  severe  treatment  received  at  the 
hands  of  the  old  German.  Thompson  acted  as  his  nurse ;  and  although  he  took  quite 
as  great  care  of  himself  as  he  did  of  his  patient,  Jerry's  appointment  was  not  an 
agreeable  one.  The  commander  did  not  leave  his  bed  until  they  arrived  in  Singapore, 
and  the  ship  was  more  than  ever  under  the  despotic  control  of  Crushe. 

It  must  not  be  imagined  that  the  first  lieutenant  tyrannized  over  every  one  of  his 
crew, — he  was  far  too  prudent  to  do  that.  By  countenancing  a  few  of  the  most  brutal 
of  the  nieii,  he  kept  himself  posted  with  regard  to  those  who  had  received  cruel 
treatment  by  his  orders.  Again,  if  his  misdeeds  came  to  the  knowledge  of  the  press  at 
any  port  they  might  visit,  he  thought  it  would  be  as  well  to  have  a  number  of  trusty 
men  he  could  send  on  shore,  who  would  be  a  living  advertisement  for  him,  and  prove 
by  word  and  deed  what  jolly  fellows  the  Stingers  all  were  ;  so  he  promoted  the  fiends 
among  the  crew,  and  flogged  those  who  showed  a  particle  of  manly  feeling  or  self- 
respect.  Shever  was  his  right-hand  man,  being  perfectly  willing  to  testify  to  anything 
at  his  bidding ;  and  between  the  Cape  and  Singapore  many  a  man  was  brought  to  the 
gratings. 

The  crew  were  teased  and  worried  until  several  of  tkem  became  mutinous,  upon 
which  they  were  reported  and  flogged,  the  number  of  lashes  awarded  the  victims 
varying  from  twenty-four  to  thirty-six,  according  to  the  caprice  of  Crushe ;  and  very 
few  of  those  not  in  the  fij'st  lieutenant's  favour  escaped  with  unscarred  backs.  The 
boatswain  and  his  mates  were  often  the  worse  for  liquor,  and  this,  when  the  unjust 
lieutenant  was  punishing  men  for  being  intoxicated,  upon  the  false  testimony  of 
Shever. 

Puffeigh  signed  all  the  warrants,  and  would  compliment  Crushe  upon  the  excellent 
state  of  discipline  into  which  he  was  bringing  the  crew.  "  Flog  the  brutes  now  you 
are  away  from  the  station,  and  when  in  port  stop  the  leave  of  all  those  mutinous  dogs 
who  ask  for  their  rights,  and  you  will  soon  have  a  good  crew,"  commented  the 
commander  one  day  when  requested  to  sanction  a  brace  of  warrants  for  punishment. 
Thompson,  who  handed  him  the  pen  with  which  he  signed  the  atrocious  orders,  uttered 
a  silent  prayer  that  the  old  Tartar  might  never  be  able  to  sign  any  others. 

Cravan  and  Crushe  were  greater  friends  than  ever,  and  the  former  gloated  over  the 
spectacle  of  seeing  Englishmen  enjoy  one  of  their  naval  privileges — the  Lash. 

Lieutenant  Ford  was  pained  and  disgusted,  and  with  the  doctor,  master,  and  pay- 
master, showed  his  contempt  for  the  first  lieutenant  by  cutting  him  in  every  way,  and 
only  speaking  to  him  on  duty. 

They  knew  that  there  was  no  remedy.  If  either  of  them  were  rash  enough  to  report 
matters  to  the  senior  officer,  on  their  arrival  at  Singapore  a  court  of  inquiry  would 
follow.  What  that  would  result  in  they  knew  but  too  well ;  Crushe,  having  creatures 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CJIINEK."       51 

enough  at  Ms  command  ready  to  swear  to  anything,  would  be  exonerated,  while  in  all 
probability  the  officer  who  made  the  complaint  would  be  sent  home  in  disgrace. 
Moreover,  it  is  considered  ungentlemanly  for  officers  to  report  each  other. 

One  morning  the  ship  was  steaming  in  a  dead  calm,  with  Cravan  in  charge  of  the 
deck,  the  first  lieutenant  having  ceased  to  keep  regular  watch,  in  consequence  of  the 
captain's  illness.  Midshipman  Ryan  had  mustered  the  watch  and  idlers,  and  found 
one  of  the  number  absent. 

"  "Who  is  the  infernal  sweep,"  demanded  Nosey. 

Upon  this  Mr.  Shever,  who  was  standing  by,  reported,  "  It's  Dunstable,  sir." 

"  Fetch  him  up — rouse  him  out — don't  spare  him,  Mr.  Shever ;  cut  him  down,  curse 
him !  " 

Dunstable  was  a  weak-minded  fellow,  who  had  one  day  before  he  went  to  sea  stolen 
a  loaf  of  bread  to  keep  life  in  his  body,  and  therefore  had  been  a  thief  according  to  the 
law  of  the  land.  A  humane  magistrate  gave  him  the  alternative  of  "entering  a  man- 
of-war,  or  going  to  prison  for  a  month."  The  poor  idiot  chose  the  freedom  of  the  sea 
to  a  lodging  in  Pentoiiville  palace,  and  was  in  due  time  drafted  to  the  Stinger  as  an 
ordinary  seaman ;  probably  being,  in  the  words  of  the  facetious  boatswain,  "  about  as 
ordinary  a  seaman  as  he'd  ever  set  eyes  on."  Crushe  imagined  the  idiotic  expression 
of  the  fellow's  face  was  assumed  to  induce  the  commander  to  dismiss  him  from  the 
service  as  useless  ;  but  this  was  not  so — the  man  was  weak-minded, — and  any  one  with 
a  particle  of  humanity  in  his  heart  would  have  been  gentle  with  the  "  softy." 

While  at  the  Cape,  Dunstable  had  tried  to  desert,  so  the  day  after  they  left  that 
place  he  was  brought  to  the  gratings  and  received  two  dozen  lashes,  which  destroyed 
the  little  sense  he  originally  possessed ;  and  some  of  the  crew,  finding  the  first  lieutenant 
down  upon  the  poor  fellow,  played  him  all  manner  of  tricks.  Wet  swabs  were  dropped 
upon  the  "  mad  un,"  his  grog  stolen  or  diluted  with  vinegar,  and  pipes  charged  with 
powder  were  lent  him  by  pretended  sympathizers ;  who,  knowing  their  superior  officer 
disliked  the  man,  vented  their  spleen  upon  him.  without  fear  of  consequences. 

Shever  found  Dunstable  coiled  up  in  his  hammock,  pretending  to  snooze.  With  the 
grin  of  a  demon  he  took  out  his  knife,  cut  the  clews,  and  let  the  man  down  crash 
upon  his  head,  then  grasped  him  by  the  hair,  and  found  he  had  received  a  severe  scalp 
wound. 

Rousing  out  one  of  the  men  who  was  sleeping  near,  and  who  proved  to  be  Tom 
Clare,  Shever  told  him  to  call  the  assistant-surgeon,  adding,  •'  Don't  you  call  that  cursed 
meddler,  the  old  doctor ; "  and  giving  him  a  caution  not  to  say  anything  to  the 
latter,  the  worthy  warrant-officer  went  on  deck. 

By  some  extraordinary  accident  the  senior  surgeon  was  called,  we  strongly  suspect 
by  Clare — although  the  doctor  declared  he  came  forward  by  accident.  Dunstable's 
wound  was  sewed  up,  and  the  unfortunate  fellow  told  "  that  he  was  on  the  sick  list," 
but  as  the  surgeon  left  the  man  the  latter  got  up,  and  in  spite  of  Clare's  persuasions, 
walked  on  deck,  where  he  went  aft  and  reported  himself  ready  for  duty. 

Crushe  had  just  .turned  out,  and  was  walking  the  starboard  side  of  the  quarter- 
deck, conversing  with  Cravan  about  Dunstable,  when  the  latter  made  his  appearance. 
Crossing  over  to  the  port  side,  he  cursed  the  smiling  idiot  as  a  "  useless  thing  " — :"  a 
dirty,  beastly  hound  " — "  a  son  of  a  dog,  unfitted  to  live  ;  "  and  turning  to  Cravan, 
asked  what  there  was  against  the  fellow. 

"  Absence  from  muster,  skulking  below  in  his  watch  on  deck,  insulting  his  superior 
officer  (the  boatswain),  and  not  going  on  deck  when  directed  by  his  superior  officer," 
saying  which  Cravan  pointed  to  the  grinning  object,  as  he  would  to  some  loathsome 
reptile,  and  added,  "  Yes,  and  the  beast  is  filthy,  and  wants  hoi-"  stoning." 


52  BLUE  JACKETS  J  OR,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

Crushe  then  indulged  in  a  flow  of  shameful  abuse.  His  victim — fool  as  he  was — 
clenched  his  fists,  ground  his  teeth,  and  replied  in  language  no  less  foul ;  but  after  a 
time  he  faltered,  and  wound  up  with,  "  Well,  thank  goodness  for  everything  !  " 

What  did  you  say,  you  yahoo  ?  "  roared  Crushe. 

"  I  said,  Thank  goodness  for  everything,  amen.  Can't  I  say  my  prayers  in  a  man- 
o'-war  ?  " 

"Mr.  Shever,  give  this  hound  a  scrubbing  with  sand  and  canvas,  and  clean  his 
mouth  out  with  it,"  said  the  gallant  officer  and  gentleman. 

Unable  to  keep  his  tongue  quiet,  and  not  realizing  the  purport  of  the  cruel  order 
Dunstable  replied,  "  You're  too  good  to  me,  sir ;  thank  goodness  again !  who'd  have 
thought  I'd  have  found  such  a  good  friend  in  a  man-o'-war  ?"  However,  seeing  Shever 
advance  to  seize  him,  the  imbecile  began  to  yell,  and  tried  to  run  forward,  but  was 
quickly  secured  by  the  boatswain  and  his  mates,  with  whom  the  poor  fellow  bit  and 
fought  in  very  desperation. 

"  Let  me  go,  you  brutes  !  I  won  t  bother  you  again  if  you  let  me  go  !  I'll  take  a 
good  long  drink  if  you'll  only  let  me  go  !  " 

He  would  have  jumped  overboard,  if  they  had  released  him  then,  but  there  was  no 
fear  of  that, — the  business  they  had  in  hand  was  too  congenial  to  their  taste  for  them  to 
let  him  drown  himself,  so  he  was  bundled  and  worried  about  until  his  few  clothes 
were  stripped  off,  when,  to  prevent  any  further  noise  on  his  part,  Mr.  Shever  roughly 
thrust  a  gag  in  his  mouth. 

The  wash  deck  tub  was  filled  with  salt  water,  a  grating  laid  across,  and  Dunstable's 
hands  made  fast  to  it  behind,  so  that  he  could  not  rise  or  struggle  without  injuring  his 
wrists.  The  boatswain  called  for  a  bucket  of  coarse  sand,  took  a  piece  of  hard  sail- 
cloth, wetted  it,  dipped  it  in  the  sand,  and  himself  commenced  to  inflict  the  scandalous 
torture  known  as  "  scrubbing  with  sand  and  canvas."  His  mates  fell  to  with  zeal, 
and  these  fiends  in  human  shape  rubbed  and  excoriated  the  person  of  the  wretched 
Dunstable  from  head  to  foot.  The  sand  was  mixed  with  shells,  which  cut  like  knives, 
while  the  salt  water  pickled  and  stung  until  the  victim  almost  fainted,  upon  which 
they  cut  his  hands  adrift  and  ducked  him  in  the  water. 

The  watch  and  idlers  knocked  off  work  "  to  see  the  sport,"  and  encouraged  by  the 
countenance  of  Crushe  and  Cravan,  shouted  with  delight  whenever  the  idiot  uttered  a 
groan  or  writhed  in  agony.  There  had  lately  been  a  great  deal  of  torture  inflicted 
before  their  eyes,  and  they  had  become  quite  judges  of  its  effects. 

When  Dunstable  had  for  the  tenth  time  been  thrust  to  the  bottom  of  the  brimming 
wash  deck  tub,  Shever  called  for  a  pair  of  scissors,  and  proceeded  to  hack  off  the  hair 
from  the  poor  victim's  head.  Many  were  the  jokes  indulged  in  by  the  gentle  barber  at 
the  expense  of  the  idiot,  as  some  of  the  grinning  wags  around  him  asked  for  "  locks  of 
his  hair  to  send  to  their  grandmothers,"  and  when  the  last  clip  was  made  they  felt  quite 
sorry  there  was  no  more  left. 

Bruised,  demented,  and  bewildered  was  the  shivering  specimen  of  humanity  when 
they  removed  the  gag,  and  leading  him  to  the  fore-rig<*'ng  told  him  "  to  run  for  his 
life  three  times  over  the  mast  head." 

As  he  did  not  reply  or  offer  to  move,  the  boatswain  gave  him  a  kick,  upon  which  he 
said,  "  Thank  goodness  for  that ! "  This  raised  a  laugh  among  the  jolly  tars  who  were 
standing  around  him,  and  one  of  them,  emulating  the  warrant-officer's  exampl  also 
dealt  the  fool  a  kick. 

"  I  can't  go  up  that  ladder,"  he  pleaded.  "I'm  not  up  to  that  move.  Thank  good- 
ness for  all  things  ;"  and  added,  in  the  slang  of  the  beings  who  had  reared  him,  "my 
nibs  ain't  vardi  for  that."  . 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  UHINEE."       53 

"  Shever,  muster  the  boys,  give  each  a  strip  of  raw  hide,  and  let  them  flog  this 
fellow  aloft,"  said  Crushe. 

The  active  boatswain  soon  did  as  he  was  directed,  and  the  boys  were  mustered  and 
equipped  in  a  very  short  space  of  time. 

"  Now,  my  lads,  lay  on  to  him  as  hard  as  you  like,"  shouted  the  first  lieutenant. 

Dunstable  sprang  into  the  rigging  when  he  saw  the  boatswain  arming  the  boys, 
who  were  all  willing  enough  to  advance,  but  afraid  of  their  victim's  vicious  looks.  At 
last  one  rat  of  a  boy  sprang  up  beside  him,  and  brought  his  strip  of  hide  stinging  across 
the  poor  fellow's  naked  body.  In  a  moment  up  went  his  foot,  and  with  a  kick  under 
the  jaw,  which  made  the  boy  bite  the  tip  off  his  tongue,  the  hunted  man  stretched  the 
little  brute  senseless  upon  the  deck,  completely  stunned  by  his  fall  from  the  rigging. 

Upon  seeing  this  the  sailors  became  furious,  and  urged  the  boys  to  attack  him  in  a 
body. 

"  Lay  into  the  brute,  you  warmints,"  bellowed  the  boatswain. 

"  Give  it  him,  my  lads ! "  cried  the  first  lieutenant. 

"  A  shilling  for  the  next  who  touches  him !  "  roared  Cravan. 

Dunstable  gave  one  loud  idiotic  shout,  then  darted  aloft  like  a  squirrel,  followed  by 
twenty  vindictive  little  devils  thirsting  to  avenge  the  blow  he  gave  their  chum.  Now 
one  would  reach  him,  when  sting  would  go  the  torturing  raw  hide,  making  the  idiot 
curse  and  howl  like  a  demon.  It  was  glorious  sport  for  the  lookers  on,  almost  as  good 
as  bear-baiting. 

Up,  up  they  go,  pursued  and  pursuers,  until  they  reach  the  main-royal-stay  ;  but 
only  one  boy  followed  then,  the  others  hung  on  to  the  rigging  and  watched  the  sport ; 
they  were  afraid  to  go  on,  the  man's  eyes  glared  so.  Dunstable  saw  at  a  glance  if  he 
could  only  get  across  he  would  be  safe  from  his  persecutors.  Away  he  clambered  up 
the  stay,  hand  over  hand  and  foot  over  foot,  like  an  experienced  sailor. 

The  men  below  turned  the  quids  in  their  cheeks,  and  observed  to  each  other  that 
"  he  warn't  sich  a  darned  fool  arter  all,  you  know,  as  he  could  get  about  aloft  like  a 
regler  knowin  one."  But  suddenly  he  stopped.  His  right  leg  slid  from  the  stay,  and 
hung  helplessly  down  ;  soon  the  left  followed,  and  he  dangled  aloft,  holding  on  by  his 
long,  lean,  sinewless  arms. 

A  groan  of  horror  burst  from  the  crew.  "  He'll  fall !  O  God,  he'll  fall ! !  "  said  Clare, 
who,  roused  out  by  the  noise,  had  come  on  deck.  All  eyes  were  strained  towards  the 
poor  wretch,  who  now  began  to  show  signs  of  total  exhaustion.  "With  a  fearful  wail 
he  let  go  one  hand,  and  swayed,  Avith  the  weight  of  his  body  entirely  thrown  upon  the 
other ;  then  suddenly  he  released  his  grasp,  and  shot  down  towards  the  deck. 

Those  who  could  bear  to  look  saw  him  strike  the  main-top-gallant-stay,  turn  over 
twice  in  his  descent,  and  fall  across  the  bridge. 

Up  sprang  Clare,  and  tenderly  he  lifted  the  now  broken  form  of  thj  wretched  idiot. 
Crushe,  with  livid  face  and  trembling  lips,  asked  him  if  the  man  was  dead.  Tom  could 
not  reply.  He  was  too  indignant  to  trust  himself  to  speak  ;  but  giving  the  lieutenant  a 
look  of  scotn,  he  raised  the  body  in  his  powerful  arms,  and  reclining  the  inanimate 
head  upon  his  shoulder  as  gently  as  a  woman  would  have  laid  her  babe's,  bore  his 
mangled  burden  to  the  surgery. 

The  little  doctor  did  his  utmost  to  save  the  man's  life, — amputation  of  one  limb 
was  resorted  to,  but  all  without  avail.  Crushe  ordered  a  screen  to  be  placed  across  the 
steerage,  and  every  few  moments  went  to  know  "how  the  fellow  got  on." 

But  the  end  was  not  far  off.  Maimed  by  accident  or  design,  mutilated  by  the  sur- 
geon's art,  weak  and  weary,  the  spirit  of  Dunstable  would  have  passed  away  without  a 
struggle,  but  Crushe  came  down ;  and  when  he  saw  his  enemy  standing  before  him 


54  BLUE   JACKETS  J    OB,    THE   ADVENTURES    OF 

•with  no  sign  of  pity,  but  rather  a  contemptuous  expression  upon  his  cruel  face,  the 
victim  raised  his  head,  and  with  his  eyes  gleaming  with  unnatural  brightness,  gasped 
out,  "  You  did  this,  you  monster!  you  did  this;  tell  my  mother  he  murdered  me!" 
Then,  with  a  terrible  convulsion,  the  muscles  of  his  body  trembled,  and  the  soul  of  the 
idiot  passed  to  the  other  world,  where,  we  are  told,  "  there  will  be  no  more  sorrow,  nor 
any  trouble  known,  no  more  misery  or  injustice,  but  all  will  be  joy  and  peace." 

There  lay  the  victim  with  the  marks  of  the  cat  upon  his  body,  the  effects  of  the  sand 
torture  still  visible  upon  him,  and  with  the  livid  wales  raised  by  the  raw-hide  thongs 
growing  more  distinct  each  moment.  There  lay  the  idiot,  foully  murdered,  and  done 
to  death  by  Crushe  and  his  subordinates ;  yet  none  dared  tell  of  it,  or  raise  their  voice 
in  denouncing  his  murderers. 

The  doctor  told  Clare  to  arrange  the  body  for  burial,  and  the  sailor  who  had  himself 
Buffered  so  much  performed  the  last  few  offices  for  the  dead.  When  this  was  done  they 
carried  it  up,  placed  it  aft  upon  the  quarter-deck,  and  spread  a  flag  over  it.  There  it  lay 
•until  the  commander  was  notified  that  the  ordinary  seaman  who  fell  from  aloft  was 
ready  for  burial.  Then  Puffeigh  directed  Crushe  to  "bury  the  fellow,"  adding,  " he 
considered  it  a  good  riddance ; "  and  that  officer,  with  the  blood  of  his  victim  on  his 
conscience,  stood  at  the  port,  and  with  mock  humility  read  from  the  prayer  book  of  the 
Church  of  England  the  solemn  service  "for  the  burial  of  the  dead,  who  die  at  sea." 
There,  with  the  crew  gathered  round,  the  man  whose  bloody  work  it  was  which  the 
flag  covered,  this  sin-steeped  wretch,  with  holy  words  upon  his  accursed  lips, 
"  committed  his  brother  to  the  deep,  in  Hie  sure  and  certain  hope  of  a  joy  fill  resurrection 
wJien  the  sea  sliall  give  up  its  dead." 

"Hands,  make  sail!"  A  breeze  had  sprung  up,  and  all  that  was  mortal  of 
Dunstable  was  soon  far  astern. 

Crushe  made  the  following  entry  in  the  log-book  of  H.  M.  S.  Stinger,  where  it 
looked  like  a  very  ordinary  accident. 

"8.50.  A.M.,  lat. long. .  Departed  this  life,  Charles  Dunstable,  ordinary 

seaman  belonging  to  this  ship,  having  died  from  the  effects  of  injuries  received  through 
falling  from  aloft." 

"  Departed  this  life,"  hounded  to  death,  and  forced  into  another,  and  we  hope  a  hap- 
pier, state,  was  this  man  and  brother.  "  May  he  rest  in  peace." 

Some  time  after  this,  an  old  woman  dozing  over  her  misery  by  the  side  of  a  wretched 
fire  in  a  London  garret,  received  a  letter  from  a  kind-hearted  midshipman  belonging  to 
the  Stinger ;  and  when  a  friend  read  the  contents  to  her  she  cried  and  rocked  herself, 
saying,  "  She  had  lost  her  boy,  her  dear,  good,  darling  Charley." 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    "  THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE.  OO 


CHAPTER  IX. 

CAPTAIN  PUFFEIGH  was  still  on  the  sick  list  when  the  ship  arrived  at  Singapore, 
where,  upon  coming  to  anchor,  despatches  were  received  directing  the  Stinger  to  refit 
within  twenty -four  hours,  and  proceed  to  Hong-Kong. 

Crushe  bullied  and  drove  the  crew  from  4  A.M.  until  11  P.M.,  consequently  the  men 
deserted  at  every  possible  chance,  in  spite  of  sentries,  master-at-arms,  and  lynx-eyed 
midshipmen ;  and  although  strict  search  was  made  before  any  craft  was  allowed  to 
leave  the  ship's  side,  very  few  of  the  stow-aways  were  discovered  and  recaptured  in 
that  manner.  The  lieutenant  dared  not  send  a>boat's  crew  on  shore,  as  he  knew  they 
would  bolt  to  a  man.  Even  his  trusty  bullies  failed  him,  and  were  as  anxious  to  get 
away  as  any  of  the  others.  Everything  seemed  what  sailors  term  "  jammed  up,"  and 
the  ship  appeared  to  be  in  the  greatest  disorder,  although  in  reality  she  was  very  rapidly 
being  fitted  for  sea. 

The  commander  was  confined  to  his  cabin,  where  he  amused  himself  by  swearing 
at  Jerry,  Boyldwyte,  or  any  stray  quartermasters,  who  were  sent  down  to  him  with 
messages. 

On  deck  Crushe  indulged  in  the  most  fearful  language  towards  the1  men,  who,  in 
their  turn,  vented  the  rage  they  dared  not  show  before  their  officers  upon  the  boys. 
As  the  lads  scorned  to  be  outsworn  by  any  sailor  breathing,  they  entirely  discarded 
ordinary  words  in  their  conversation,  and  communicated  with  each  other  by  oaths  of 
the  most  powerful  and  horrible  kind,  that  elegant  and  improving  style  of  conversation 
being  rather  encouraged  by  the  genial  first  luff,  who  often  declared  "that  in  a  gale  of 
wind  a  sailor  who  swore  was  worth  two  who  prayed." 

Forward,  the  deck  was  strewn  with  greasy,  undulating,  fizzing,  bursting  hoses, 
through  which  hundreds  of  gallons  of  lukewarm  water  were  forced  into  the  ship's 
tanks  from  the  boats  alongside  ;  while  amidships  a  gang  of  noisy  coolies  pitched  coal 
upon  the  deck,  or  shovelled  it  down  the  shoots,  to  the  airs  of  the  day,  popular  among 
those  coloured  minstrels,  their  tunes  being  graphically  described  to  the  commander  by 
Jerry  as  "  strong  convulsions  set  to  music." 

The  stewards  vied  with  each  other  in  buying  all  the  lame,  blind,  and  aged  poultry 
brought  off  to  the  ship  by  the  enterprising  bum-boat  men.  Wild-eyed,  ragged,  half- 
starved,  goat-like  animals  were  purchased  as  sheep  and  brought  aboard  by  the  confiding 
Bolydwyte.  When  they  were  cut  adrift,  these  brutes  cruised  round  the  quarter-deck, 
and  picked  up  a  meal  of  swabs  and  green  paint.  There  had  not  been  much  rain  fall 
for  some  months  in  Singapore,  and  probably  anything  green  was  welcome  to  them. 
Crushe  let  them  roam  about  unkicked ;  he  did  not  like  to  insult  the  captain's  sheep, 
and  as  it  would  be  a  difficult  matter  to  poison  hide  and  frame-work,  the  animals 
appeared  rather  more  lively  than  otherwise  after  their  feed  of  oakum  and  carpenters' 
stores.  Patriarchal  cocks,  that  had  for  years  been  "  laid  up  in  ordinary,"  and  excluded 
from  all  decent  shore  fowl-society,  limped  about  the  ship,  and  looked  knowingly  at  the 
guns,  as  much  as  to  say,  "  Ah  !  there  has  been  great  improvement  made  in  these  articles 
since  we  were  hatched."  The  only  bird  worth  looking  at  was  one  called  by  Boyldwyte 
a  goose,  but  by  the  assistant-surgeon  derisively  pronounced  a  Dodo.  Altogether  the 


56  BLUE   JACKETS  ;    OK,    THE    ADVENTURES   OF 

ornithological  collection  on  board  was  one  calculated  to  puzzle  a  naturalist,  and  drive 
a  poultry  fancier  out  of  his  mind. 

The  engineers,  who  are  never  outdone  by  "  those  midshipmen  fellows  in  the  gun- 
room," came  out  quite  strongly  in  purchasing  live  stock.  One  of  the  first  acquisitions 
was  a  pig-,  which  they  directed  their  steward,  Angus  Mac'Squabble,  "  to  have  killed 
and  dressed  without  delay,"  so  roast  pork  figured  on  their  bill  of  fare.  During  the 
afternoon  this  came  to  the  ears  of  the  doctor,  who  sent  for  the  second  engineer,  and 
pointed  out  to  him  the  risk  he  ran  in  partaking  of  such  unclean  food.  By  way  of 
enforcing  his  argument,  he  exhibited  some  highly-coloured  illustrations  of  the  delightful 
creatures  found  in  swine's  flesh. 

Donald  looked  at  the  diagrams — as  he  termed  the  pictures — asked  the  man  of  science 
any  amount  of  questions,  and  then  coolly  remarked, 

"  Hech,  mon  docter  !  it's  ay  verra  weel  for  ye  to  tell  me  aboot  yon,  bit  as  I've  eaten 
an  unca  guid  pund  or  twa  o'  the  puir  beastie,  I  think  I'll  gist  fa'  tult  agin,  and  risk  the 
rest  at  supper." 

Upon  hearing  this  the  surgeon  gave  up  further  argument,  and  put  away  his 
pictures. 

The  -well-kicked  steward,  who  catered  fer  the  midshipmen,  was  sent  on  shore  early 
in  the  morning  to  "  secure  the  best  the  market  afforded." 

Much  to  the  annoyance  of  the  young  gentlemen,  he  did  not  return  until  late  in  the 
evening,  when,  staggering  into  the  mess-berth,  and  throwing  a  dead  turkey-buzzard 
upon  the  table,  he  looked  solemnly  at  the  senior  midshipman,  and  said,  "  Th-there's  all 
the  (hie)  game  I  could  come  a  (hie)  cross,"  then  wept  bitterly,  and  requested  one  of  the 
young  gemmen  'ud  knock  his  head  off,  as  he  was  tired  of  life.  Unluckily  for  the 
fellow,  his  only  friends  in  the  mess  were  absent  on  duty. 

The  indignant  middies  held  council,  and  found  it  imperative  on  their  part  to  make 
an  example  of  the  fellow,  who,  after  stealing  their  two  hundred  dollars,  had  insulted 
them  by  bringing  off  a  stinking  turkey-buzzard,  instead  of  a  boat  load  of  sea  stock ; 
nothing  short  of  a  cobbing  would  meet  the  requirements  of  the  case.  It  never,  for  a 
moment,  occurred  to  them  that  had  they  treated  the  steward  better,  he  would  not  have 
so  misbehaved  himself. 

No  doubt  the  man  was  not  sufficiently  appreciative  of  all  their  favours,  and  the 
many  kindnesses  they  imagined  he  received  at  their  hands.  It  was  also  very  wrong 
indeed  for  him  to  lose  the  money  and  get  intoxicated ;  but  he  was  a  poor  weak-minded 
fellow,  and  human,  although  some  of  the  young  gentlemen — his  masters — often  tried 
to  persuade  themselves  to  the  contrary. 

Torture  being  rather  the  popular  amusement  on  board  the  Stinger,  not  one  of  those 
present  imagined  the  order  "  to  give  the  Tahoo  fits  "  was  a  cruel  one  ;  and  when  the 
senior  midshipman,  who  gave  it,  proceeded  to  gag  the  steward  with  a  towel,  willing 
hands  were  put  forth  to  hold  "  the  brute."  After  binding  the  bewildered  victim  to  the 
mess  table,  the  young  gentlemen  worked  away  at  him,  until  they  got  tired  of  the 
amusement,  and  then  kicked  him  adrift  with  instructions  "  to  fetch  aft  some  grog 
water,"  upon  which  he  replied,  "  he  would  see  them  blessed  if  he  did." 

Finding  the  man  determined  to  resist  lawful  authority,  they  reported  him  to 
Crushe,  who  directed  him  to  be  lashed  up  in  the  fore-rigging.  Strange  to  say,  after 
he  had  been  suspended  by  the  wrists  for  an  hour  he  fainted,  so  he  was  cast  adrift,  and 
told  "  he  might  turn  in."  He  never  turned  out  again,  being  found  dead  in  his  hammock 
when  the  young  gentlemen  wanted  their  coffee  the  next  morning.  The  doctor  was  sent 
for,  and  he  declared  the  man  had  died  in  a  fit  some  hours  before ;  so  they  entered  it  in 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."       57 

the  ship's  log  as  "a  death,  caused  by  intoxication  and  over  exertion."  No  one  ever 
made  inquiry  about  the  parish  apprentice,  and  the  matter  was  soon  a  thing  of  the  past. 

Captain  Puffeigh  declined  to  receive  visitors,  and  Crushe  was  obliged  to  do  the 
honours  of  the  ship.  During  the  morning  one  of  the  principal  magistrates  called  to 
pay  his  respects  to  the  commander,  and  was  entertained  by  the  first  lieutenant.  It 
was  quite  amusing  to  hear  Crushe  speak  of  the  crew,  and  the  old  Anglo-Indian  thought 
he  had  never  met  a  more  humane,  kind-hearted  officer. 

"  Is  it  not  strange,"  he  remarked,  "  that  although  we  give  our  men  good  pay, 
excellent  food,  and  the  kindest  treatment,  yet  no  sooner  do  they  touch  shore  than  they 
abuse  the  confidence  reposed  in  them,  get  drunk  and  desert  ?  " 

"  They  ought  to  be  flogged,  sir — yes,  sir!  The  lash  is  the  thing.  I  advocate  the 
lash  for  such  fellows.  You're  a  devilish  sight  too  humane,  sir." 

"  My  dear  sir,  pardon  me !  not  the  lash.     "We  can  do  without  that." 

"True!  Well,  you  are  right ;  the  cause  of  humanity  forbids  its  use.  I  honour 
your  sentiments,  sir.  I  was  hasty." 

Crushe  led  the  old  fellow  into  a  promise,  "  that  he  would  use  his  utmost  endeavour 
to  cause  the  arrest  of  every  deserter  then  on  shore  ;  "  and,  true  to  his  word,  by  night 
all  were  seized  and  sent  on  board  again.  When  the  last  man  was  caught,  he  shocked 
the  worthy  old  magistrate  by  describing  the  Stinger  as  a  "  hell  afloat,"  and  declaring 
"  Crushe  was  a  cold-blooded  tyrant."  One  of  the  officials  who  heard  this  statement 
seemed  desirous  •  of  inquiring  into  the  matter,  but  he  was  overruled  by  his  brother 
magistrate,  who  informed  him  that  "  the  noble  young  officer  was  a  most  gentle,  kind 
man,  and  he  would  pledge  his  honour  that  the  sailor  spoke  falsely."  The  deserters  were 
double  ironed  and  placed  in  an  empty  shell  room,  where  they  spent  'a  most  uncom- 
fortable night. 

Mrs.  Puffeigh  had  a  very  dear  cousin  residing  in  Singapore,  and  her  husband  was 
intrusted  with  a  small  parcel,  which  she  instructed  him  "  to  deliver  to  darling  Horace 
with  his  own  hands."  The  package  was  sealed ;  and  although  quite  capable  of  such 
meanness,  he  was  afraid  to  open  it.  Several  times  he  determined  to  drop  it  overboard, 
but  anticipating  certain  after  consequences,  let  it  remain  in  his  valise,  where  it  served 
aa  a  kind  of  mental  blister  for  the  amiable  old  man.  As  upon  arrival  in  port  the 
doctor  pronounced  him  too  unwell  to  visit  the  shore,  he  determined  to  act  the  invalid, 
and  decline  tt>  see  the  object  of  his  jealousy,  even  if  he  came  off  to  call  upon  him. 

Mr.  Oldcrackle  was  a  wealthy  merchant,  who  had  not  visited  England  for  some 
years ;  and  his  flirtation  with  Mrs.  Puffeigh  consisted  in  an  exchange  of  letters, 
exceedingly  amusing  as  far  as  the  writers  were  concerned,  and  of  which  the  gallant 
captain  of  course  knew  nothing. 

When  the  Stinger  left  England  the  lady  wrote  to  her  dear  coz  as  follows : 

"  MY  DARLING  COUSIN, 

"  Blue-Beard  leaves  for  your  out-of-the-way  place  to-day.  I  have  given  him 
a  small  parcel,  which  contains  my  portrait.  Don't  be  a  dear  old  donkey  over  it,  as  you 
were  over  the  last.  If  the  seal  is  broken,  tell  me.  I  know  B.  B.  is  inquisitive,  and 
will  cure  him  if  he  has  dared  to  tamper  with  my  private  affairs.  When  are  you  coming 
home  ? 

"  Your  loving  little  coz, 

"  HELEN." 

"  P.  S.  Take  care  of  B.  B;,  and  see  he  does  not  get  into  mischief.  He  is  a  very 
harmless  old  thing." 


58  BLUE  JACKETS;  OR   THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

Puffeigh  was  in  his  bath  when  Mr.  Oldcrackle's  brown  servant  arrived  on  board 
with  an  invitation  for  the  captain  to  take  up  his  abode  at  his  bungalow,  during  the 
Stinger's  stay  in  the  harbour.  The  gallant  warrior  did  not  condescend  to  fully  peruse 
the  note,  but  directing  Jerry  to  tell  him.  "  he  would  send  up  the  parcel  that  evening," 
he  dropped  the  letter  in  the  water,  and  vented  his  feelings  by  blessing  the  writer  sotto 
voce. 

As  Thompson  was  leaving  the  cabin  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  his  instructions, 
he  heard  the  servant's  voice  near  the  after-skylight,  speaking  to  the  quartermaster  of 
the  watch ;  so,  to  save  a  journey  on  deck,  Jerry  got  upon  the  table,  and  putting  his 
head  up  the'  hatch,  told  the  flunkey  "  to  give  the  captain's  compliments  to  his  master, 
and  he  would  call  upon  him  that  evening ;"  then  slipping  off  his  perch,  disappeared  from 
the  astonished  gaze  of  the  coloured  individual. 

"  Captain  sahib  berry  funny  man,"  remarked  the  oriental  to  the  quartermaster. 

"  You'd  find  him  a  sight  funnier  if  you  shipped  under  him,"  replied  the  old  salt. 

When  the  servant  reported  the  matter  to  Oldcrackle,  he  told  him,  "  Captain  sahib 
hab  handsome  eye,  like  debil." 

About  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  PufFeigh  sent  Thompson  on  shore  with  a  note, 
"  declining  Mr.  Oldcrackle's  invitation  on  account  of  ill-health,  and  begging  to  forward 
a  small  parcel  from  his  dear  wife." 

Knowing  his  cruise  would  be  a  very  short  one  if  he  went  in  sailor's  attire,  the 
coxswain  did  not  scruple  to  avail  himself  of  the  captain's  wardrobe,  from  which  he 
borrowed  a  shooting  suit  and  opera  hat.  These  he  made  into  a  parcel,  and  took  upon 
the  quarter-deck,  telling  Crushe  "  they  were  the  things  the  captain  had  ordered  him  to 
carry  on  shore."  As  it  was  not  prudent  to  send  a  ship's  boat  with  the  sailor,  the 
lieutenant  called  a  waterman  alongside,  and  directed  him  to  "  take  l:he  coxswain  to  the 
nearest  wharf."  Jerry  touched  his  forelock,  and  said,  "  Any  orders,  sir  ?  "  upon  which 
Crushe  laughed ;  and  giving  him  some  money,  directed  the  impudent  sailor  "to  bring 
him  off  a  dozen  fine  green  pines,  and  mind  not  to  come  without  them." 

The  coxswain  stepped  into  the  boat,  and  as  soon  as  the  Stinger  was  lost  in  the 
gloom  proceeded  to  strip,  and  re-clothe  himself  in  Puffeigh's  garments,  in  which,  if  we 
except  the  opera  hat,  he  strongly  resembled  a  poacher.  The  boatman  did  not  trouble 
himself,—  it  was  no  business  of  his, — as  the  sailor  gave  him  a  liberal  fare ;  so  after 
having  landed  the  man,  he  hauled  up  his  boat  for  the  night,  and  retired  to  the  bosom, 
of  his  family. 

Jerry  was  not  a  stranger  in  Singapore,  having  visited  the  place  in  a  merchant  ship ; 
therefore  upon  landing  he  at  once  proceeded  to  the  house  of  an  old  acquaintance,  who 
made  a  living  by  selling  fruit  and  rum  to  the  sailors  on  board  ships  in  the  harbour,  and 
poisoning  them  with  bad  liquor  when  they  called  to  have  a  good  time  on  shore.  Hav- 
ing ordered  some  pines  and  deposited  his  sailor's  clothes  with  his  friend,  the  coxswain 
stepped  into  a  sedan,  and  directed  the  bearers  to  take  him  to  Mr.  Oldcrackle's.  Before 
starting  the  generous  hotel-keeper  handed  him  a  bottle  of  ale  and  a  cigar,  entreating 
him  to  "julde  julde,  and  be  back  soon,"  as  he  wanted  to  have  a  good  long  talk  with 
him ;  i.  e.  make  him  drunk  and  rob  him. 

After  a  pleasant  ride,  during  which  the  sailor  smoked  his  cigar,  and  imbibed  the 
nauseous  mixture  given  him  as  ale,  the  bearers  turned  into  a  well-kept  compound, 
upon  which  Jerry  threw  the  empty  bottle  into  the  shrubbery,  dropped  his  cigar,  and 
took  out  the  parcel  addressed  to  Mr.  Oldcrackle,  and  so  found  himself  opposite  the 
bungalow.  • 

Out  came  a  servant,  who  salammed  and  "  desired  his  excellency  the  captain  sahib 
would  alight." 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."       59 

The  somewhat  puzzled  tar  paid  his  bearers,  and  followed  the  servant  into  a  spacious 
hall,  whence  he  was  conducted  into  a  side  room,  where  he  found  a  suit  of  white  linen 
clothes  laid  out. 

"  Will  the  sahib  deign  to  put  on  these  ?  "  inquired  the  obsequioiis  flunky. 

It  now  dawned  upon  the  mind  of  the  bewildered  sailor  that  he  was  being  taken  for 
his  commander;  and  as  he  knew  a  good  dinner  awaited  him,  he  accepted  the  situation. 
When  he  had  completed  his  toilet  he  drank  a  glass  of  brandy  pawnee,  and  ordered  the 
servant  "  to  lead  the  way  to  the  banquet." 

Upon  entering  the  dining-room  the  guests  rose,  and  Oldcrackle  came  forward  and 
welcomed  him  in  true  East  Indian  fashion.  Jerry  handed  the  parcel  to  the  merchant, 
then  turning  to  the  other  gentlemen  he  observed,  "Having  done  that,  I  beg  to  take  my 
leave." 

"  My  dear  fellow,  you're  not  going  off  like  that.  Come,  sit  down,  I've  asked  these 
gentlemen  specially  to  meet  you  ;  indeed,  you  must  stay." 

"  Ton  my  word  I'm  almost  inclined  to." 

"  Come,  Puffeigh,  sit  down  like  a  sensible  fellow,"  added  the  host,  saying  which  he 
led  the  not  unwilling  coxswain  to  the  table,  and  seated  him  at  his  right  hand  ;  at  the 
same  time  directing  the  butler  "  to  fill  up  the  captain  sahib's  glass  with  champagne. 

Thompson  was  now  formally  introduced  to  the  guests  ;  and  finding  they  all  took 
him  for  a  genuine  royal  naval  captain,  fell  to  at  the  viands,  and  ate  as  if  he  had  not 
tasted  food  for  a  week. 

"  You  don't  get  such  a  curry  as  that  on  board,  do  you,  Puffeigh  ?  "  said  Oldcrackle, 
who,  like  most  old  East  Indians,  had  very  little  appetite  left,  and  consequently  looked 
upon  a  man  who  could  make  a  good  hearty  meal  as  a  lucky  fellow. 

"  No,"  replied  his  visitor,  "  our  cook  ain't  up  to  this  ;  pea  soup  and  duff  is  more  in 
his  line." 

This  observation  of  the  captain  set  the  table  in  a  roar.  "  Capital !  "  screamed  one, 
"  Haw,  haw,"  laughed  another. 

They  all  thought  the  commander  was  speaking  facetiously  of  his  French  cook,  and 
were  immensely  tickled  with  his  peculiar  phraseology. 

Oldcrackle  saw  that  the  captain  was  a  six-bottled  man,  and  admired  the  quiet  manner 
in  which  he  tilted  off  a  glass  of  champagne — no  sips.  No  sooner  was  the  glass  filled 
than  up  it  went  to  his  lips,  when  in  an  instant  it  was  emptied  and  returned  to  the 
table.  We  may  add  this  raised  him  in  the  merchant's  estimation,  but  it  puzzled  him 
why  Helen  described  Puffeigh  as  "  a  harmless  old  thing ;  "  however,  he  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  it  must  be  a  term  of  endearment,  and  thought  no  further  about  it. 

European  residents  in  those  days  kept  up  the  old  English  custom  of  drinking 
healths,  so  in  due  time  the  host  arose,  glass  in  hand,  and  begged  "  to  propose  the  health 
of  his  guest  and  cousin,  the  worthy  naval  hero  who  sat  by  his  side.  Gentlemen,  I  can 
say  that  this  day  I  have  found  a  relation,  a  cousin.  This  gentleman  has  hitherto  been 
unknown  to  me.  I  propose  his  health,  with  three  times  three,  and  one, 

'  For  he's  a  jolly  good  fellow, 
And  so  say  all  of  us,'  &c.,  &c." 

The  genial  old  merchant  led  off  the  above  ditty,  which  was  roared  forth  by  the 
guests  in  chorus,  all  standing  bumper  in  hand.  When  the  noise  had  subsided  Jerry 
was  called  upon  to  make  a  speech  in  reply ;  so  fortifying  himself  with  a  glass  of 
burgundy,  he  rose,  first  pulling  his  forelock  in  true  nautical  style  (which  funny  action 
raised  a  laugh,  and  delayed  his  speech  for  a  few  minutes),  and  spoke  as  follows : — 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  I  beg  yer  pardin,  I  wish  there  was  some  ladies  present, 


60  BLUE   JACKETS  ;     OR,    THE    ADVENTURES    OF 

bless  'em,  I  love  all  of  'em  (roars  of  laughter).  Gentlemen,  you  natter  me.  I  am  a 
yery  humble  individual  (cheers),  and  did  you  know  all,  you  would  do  anything  but 
drink  my  health  (renewed  cheers).  Gentlemen,  I  am  proud  to  meet  with  such  jolly  good 
fellows  (cheers,  and  cries  of  'Bravo,  captain'),  I  would  be  proud  to  see  you  all 
aboard  the  Stinger  to-morrow,  but  we  sail  at  daylight  (cries  of  '  No,  no  !  stay  here  for 
a  month  ' ).  Gentlemen  you  don't  know  how  I  tJwuld  like  to  stay  here  for  a  month 
(cheers).  I  am  a  plain  sailor  (cheers  and  cries  of  '  You're  a  brick,  old  fellow"),  I  came 
here  little  thinking  I  should  have  such  a  blow-out  (loud  laughter),  and  I  can  say  I 
never  was  better  treated  in  my  life  (cheers,  and  cries  of  '  give  up  the  sea  and  settle 
here,  old  boy ' ).  Gentlemea,  here's  towards  you,  and  I  wishes  you  many  happy  returns 
of  the  day  "  (roars  of  laughter  and  cheers,  amidst  which  Thompson  seated  himself,  and 
motioned  the  butler  to  bring  him  another  bottle  of  wine). 

A  very  merry  time  followed  the  delivery  of  this  speech,  no  one  imagining  it  was 
said  in  sober  earnestness.  They  had  often  heard  worse  from  captains  of  the  old  school ; 
so  they  drank  the  "  jolly  good  fellow's  "  health  again,  and  swore  he  was  a  "  tremendous 
brick." 

After  a  time  the  party  adjourned  to  the  drawing  room,  and  the  merchant  took  the 
opportunity  to  have  a  quiet  chat  with  his  cousin's  husband.  Seating  themselves  in  the 
verandah,  the  following  conversation  took  place  : 

"  I  like  this  portrait  of  your  wife  immensely." 

"  Do  you  ?  I  don't  think  it's  nattering." 

"  Have  you  any  family  ?  You  see  I  am  quite  ignorant  of  your  affairs."  (Sly  dog, 
he  received  a  ktter  from  his  dear  cousin  nearly  every  mail.) 

"Aw,  well,  there's  no  family  that  I  know  of." 

Oldcrackle  lay  back  in  his  chair,  and  fairly  roared  with  laughter.  After  a  time, 
however,  he  again  questioned  his  guest. 

"  You  ought  to  be  very  happy  with  such  a  girl  as  Helen.  How  can  you  bear  to 
leave  her  ?  " 

"  "Well,  you  see,  we  now  and  then  have  a  row — she  goes  to  balls  and  stays  out  all 
night,  and  then  I  blow  up  a  bit — but  it  all  comes  right  again,  and  I  buy  her  a  lot  of 
diamonds,  and  that  makes  it  up."  (Jerry  was  a  little  adrift  here,  so  he  replied  in  what 
he  considered  the  correct  style  in  high  life.) 

"  Oh !"  thought  Oldcrackle,  "  that's  what  Helen  means  by  B.  B. ;  well,  although  he  is 
not  bad  looking,  he  is  by  far  too  rough  a  fellow  for  a  gentle  being  like  her  ; "  and  then 
the  old  merchant  thought  what  a  different  match  the  girl  would  have  made  if  she  had 
only  waited  for  him. 

Thompson  now  lighted  a  cigar,  and  puffed  away  like  a  locomotive,  to  avoid 
answering  further  questions. 

At  this  moment  a  very  pretty  half-caste  girl  glided  into  the  verandah,  and  taking 
her  place  behind  the  merchant's  chair,  commenced  to  fan  him.  Alaya  was  a  great 
pet  of  Oldcrackle,  her  father  having  died  in  his  service,  and  we  will  do  the 
merchant  the  justice  to  say,  he  was  a  kind  master,  both  to  the  widow  and  daughter — 
the  latter  having  budded  into  womanhood  without  any  one  regarding  her  otherwise 
than  as  a  child. 

"  Well,  Alaya,"  said  her  master,  "  do  you  see  the  captain  sahib  ?  " 

The  girl  nodded  and  smiled  at  Jerry. 

"  Go  and  fan  him,  child." 

Alaya  walked  round,  and  taking  position  behind  the  coxswain's  chair — so  close  that 
he  felt  her  balmy  breath  upon  his  forehead — proceeded  to  cool  his  face  with  a  soft  and 
gentle  motion  of  her  fan,  at  the  same  time  looking  down  upon  him,  from  under  her 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      61 

long  silken  eyelashes,  in  a  manner  that  would  have   seduced  a  much  less  susceptible 
individual  than  our  sailor. 

"  Oh  Lor  !  ain't  that  lovely  ! "  ejaculated  the  coxswain,  as  leaning  back  he  brought 
his  eyes  to  bear  upon  those  of  the  lovely  girl,  who  fanned  and  smiled — smiled  and 
gazed  upon  him,  until  Jerry,  instead  of  being  cool,  was  in  a  high  state  of  fever. 

Oldcrackle  was  all  this  time  gazing  upon  Mrs.  Puffeigh's  portrait ;  and  as  he  slightly 
turned  his  back  upon  Tier  husband  when  he  did  this,  failed  to  observe  the  little  flirtation 
going  on  at  the  other  side  of  the  verandah,  although  the  moon  was  shining  brightly. 
At  last  he  said,  in  a  dreamy  kind  of  manner, 

"  Ah  !  she's  a  lovely  creature." 

"  "Werry,"  echoed  the  sailor,  pursing  his  lips,  and  blowing  kisses  towards  the 
delighted  girl  by  his  side. 

"  You're  very  fond — of — her — are — you — not ! "  mused  the  merchant,  who  was 
half  asleep,  and  almost  dreaming  of  his  English  cousin — (she  did  not  paint  when  he 
knew  her). 

"  Werry."  Saying  which  Jerry,  seeing  his  host  was  now  asleep,  placed  his  arm 
round  the  supple  waist  of  the  girl,  and  drawing  '  _  towards  him,  gave  her  a  sounding 
kiss. 

Oldcrackle  woke  with  a  start,  and  sat  bolt  upright  in  his  chair,  calling  out,  "What's 
that  ?  "  Upon  turning  round  towards  his  guest,  he  saw  the  latter  with  his  hand  held 
to  his  cheek,  as  if  he  had  just  slapped  it  in  order  to  crush  some  insect. 

"What's  that,  Puffeigh  ?  " 

"  A  thundering  big  inooseskeeter  just  settled  on  my — "  here  the  sailor  slapped  his 
face  again,  as  if  he  had  just  killed  another  tormentor. 

Alaya  was  sitting  behind  the  coxswain's  chair,  apparently  fast  asleep. 

The  old  merchant  murmured  something  about  "soon  being  used — to — those — 
th — things,"  then  snoozed  off  again,  and  snored. 

Alaya  woke  up,  or  pretended  to  do  so,  and  the  enchanted  sailor  soon  was  supporting 
her  in  the  former  manner.  Poor  girl,  she  was  far  too  deeply  in  love  to  sit  upon  a  chair, 
so  Jerry  kindly  placed  his  arm  round  her  waist  to  prevent  her  falling,  while  she  fanned 
and  drove  him  out  of  his  senses  at  the  same  time.  At  last  he  whispered  to  her, 

"  Do  you  love  me,  Alayer  ?  " 

The  girl  nodded  several  times. 

"  Kiss  me  !  " 

Alaya  did  not  know  it  was  wrong.  "  The  sahib  was  lovely,  and  no  one  had  ever 
woticed  her  so  before." 

"  Kiss  me  !  "  repeated  the  enamoured  tar. 

With  a  startled  face,  and  quickly  gazing  round  to  make  sure  that  no  one  was  looking, 
the  beautiful  girl  stooped  forward,  laid  her  soft  lips  upon  those  of  the  delighted  sailor, 
aud  gave  him  a  tender  loving  kiss ;  then,  like  a  timid  fawn,  drew  back  and  trembled 
with  fear  of  discovery. 

At  this  moment  her  master  awoke. 

After  a  yawn  and  stretch,  Oldcrackle  turned  to  his  guest,  but  finding  him  to  all 
appearance  asleep,  he  ordered  Alaya  to  wake  him. 

When  that  difficult  matter  was  accomplished,  for  the  sailor  pretended  to  be  very 
fast  asleep  indeed,  the  merchant  asked  him  "how  he  had  enjoyed  his  forty  winks." 

"  I  thought  I  was  in  Mayhomed's  Parodice,"  replied  Jerry,  winking  at  the  now 
placid  Alaya  ;  "  and  I  would  werry  much  rather  never  to  have  left  again." 

"  You  sly  dog  ! "  said  the  other,  and  added  sotto  voce,  "  A  married  man,  and  talk 


62  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVENTUKES  OF 

The  sailor  laughed,  saying,  "  Ah  !  I'm  a  deal  slyer  than  you  imagine."  * 

A  hearty  laugh  followed  this  speech,  then,  hooking  his  arm  within  that  of  the 
eccentric  captain,  the  delighted  Oldcrackle  conducted  his  relation  into  the  drawing- 
room,  where  they  found  every  one  engaged  in  playing  whist. 

Thompson  was  pretty  well  employed  in  imbibing  soda  and  brandy  until  a  late  hour, 
and  was  far  from  sober,  when  Oldcrackle,  who  had  also  taken  a  great  deal  more  wine 
than  his  usual  quantity,  challenged  him  to  play  a  game  of  whist,  to  which  the  sailor 
solemnly  agreed.  Alaya  was  watching  them  from  the  verandah.  Seeing  the  girl,  her 
master  bade  her  fetch  him  a  pack  of  cards.  When  she  brought  them  into  the  room, 
Jerry  caught  her  round  the  waist,  and  "  declared  he  would  marry  her,  if  they  would 
only  schend  for  a  parson."  Up  sprang  the  guests,  who  crowded  round  the  "  captain," 
and  enjoyed  the  scene  immensely. 

"  Yesh,"  added  the  sailor,  with  the  greatest  gravity,  "  I'll  marry  her,  she  is  the  best 
and  mosth  beautifullish  girl  I  ever  met  in  all  my  bornish  daish." 

"  Let  me  go,  sahib !  let  me  go  !  " 

"  No,  you  beaufiflish  girlsh  in  the  world.  I'll  keep  you  heresh  for  ever,  and  die  with 
you  in  my  armsh." 

After  a  little  persuasion  he  released  the  trembling  Alaya,  and  was  led  to  bed  by  his 
host,  murmuring  all  the  time  that  "  Alayer  was  the  only  angel  he  had  ever  seen." 

"  The  idea  of  his  spooning  over  little  Alaya!  "  observed  one  of  the  guests. 

"He's  mad  !  "  said  another. 

"  Not  at  all,  gentlemen,  he's  like  all  naval  men, — rather  susceptible,  and  Alaya's 
pretty  face  has  turned  his  brain  ;  he  is  a  thoroughly  good  fellow,  so  let  us  drink  the 
health  of  Captain  Puft'eigh,  and  that  of  his  officers  and  crew,"  observed  Oldcrackle,  who 
now  returned. 

The  party  then  separated,  and  many  were  the  comments  on  Captain  Puffeigh's 
extraordinary  hehaviour. 

Where  was  Alaya  ? — Crouched  in  the  verandah  under  the  captain  sahib's  window, 
and  crying  quietly  for  "  love  of  the  beautiful  one,  who  kissed  her,  and  made  her  heart 
beat  so ;  the  handsome  sahib  who  took  such  notice  of  poor  little  Alaya.  Now  he  was 
sick  and  might  die.  Oh,  sad !  and  his  slave  not  near  him.  Would  she  could  creep 
between  the  jalousies,  and  crouch  at  the  foot  of  his  bed.  She  could  see  his  eyes  now, 
they  were — " 

"  Alaya ! "  cried  her  mother,  "  where  are  you  ?  Come,  my  child,  there's  no  more 
fanning  to  do  to-night ;  go  to  your  mat." 

So  the  little  half-caste  retired  to  rest,  or  rather  curled  herself  up  on  her  mat,  and 
wept  until  morning  broke. 

Before  sunrise  Jerry  was  up  and  stirring.  After  a  search  he  secured  his  clothes, 
and  was  quite  ready  to  leave  the  bungalow,  but  he  still  crept  about  the  passages,  candle 
in  hand.  Did  he  want  to  say  good-bye  to  his  kind  host  ?  No.  Was  it  a  soda  and 
brandy  he  required  ?  No.  As  he  explored  the  matted  corridors,  he  murmured, 
"  I  wish  to  goodness  I  could  find  out  if  Alayer's  about,  I  would  so  like  to  apologize  to 
her  for  my  rudeness." 

However,  not  finding  her,  he  left  the  house,  managing  to  get  away  without  obser- 
vation. 

Thompson  walked  down  to  the  hotel,  changed  his  clothes,  packed  Puffeigh's  up  with 
the  pines  in  a  basket,  placed  a  bottle  of  grog  under  all,  and  taking  a  shore  boat,  made 
the  best  of  his  way  on  board  his  ship. 

Crushe  was  walking  the  quarter-deck,  when  the  coxswain  reported  himself  as  having 
"  come  aboard." 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE." 


63 


"  "Why  were  you  not  back  last  night  ?  "  demanded  the  angry  first  lieutenant. 

"  I  was  huntin'  ov  your  pines,  sir ;  they  were  werry  scarce,  and  I  came  off  the 
moment  I  got  'em." 

"  That  will  do,  you  brufce ;  you  have  the  best  of  me  this  time,"  said  Crushe,  with  a 
grin. 

So  Jerry  got  the  better  of  Puffeigh,  Oldcrackle,  and  Crushe,  and  not  one  p?.ng  of 
remorse  ever  seemed  to  trouble  him  with  regard  to  Alaya.  Perhaps  we  do  not  know 
what  he  felt.  She  certainly  was  too  good  for  the  fellow  they  married  her  to  very 
shortly  afterwards,  and  to  this  day  Alaya  dreams  of  the  "  beautiful  captain  sahib," 
who  made  her  heart  beat  so. 

The  Stinger  sailed  at  9  A.M.,  and  Oldcrackle  never  saw  his  real  cousin.  When 
Puffeigh  was  on  his  way  back  to  England  he  only  remained  at  Singapore  an  hour ;  and 
not  having  much  regard  for  his  wife's  relation,  he  did  not  call  upon  the  hospitable 
merchant,  so  the  fraud  was  never  discovered. 

The  letter  which  Puffeigh  gave  Thompson  was  posted  by  the  latter  in  the  galley 
fire. 


64:  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 


CHAPTER  X. 

When  Singapore  was  well  out  of  sight  Crushe  mustered  the  deserters,  kept  until 
that  time  below  in  irons.  Thirty-five  men  and  one  boy  answered  to  their  names,  and 
were  paraded  before  him.  Among  them  were  many  of  his  pets,  who,  until  their  attempt 
at  desertion,  had  been  considered  reliable  fellows.  These  he  surveyed  with  unmitiga- 
ted disgust,  as  much  as  to  say,  "  You  brutes,  after  I  have  loaded  you  with  favours,  you 
turn  upon  me  and  desert,  like  the  rest  of  them."  The  boy  was  no  other  than  "  the  son 
of  Bill  Jordun,"  who,  in  spite  of  the  guardianship  of  Old  Jemmy,  had  contrived  to 
reach  the  shore  in  an  empty  water-tank,  there  to  be  duly  collared  and  returned  to  the 
kind  care  of  the  humane  lieutenant.  Crushe  determined  to  flog  the  child,  as  an  exam- 
ple to  the  other  boys  :  consequently,  when  the  deserters  were  mustered,  he  singled  out 
the  lad,  and  bullied  him  in  a  most  unmerciful  manner. 

"  "What  is  that  little  beast's  name  ?  "  he  demanded  of  the  ship's  corporal. 

"  Bill  Jordun,  sir,"  replied  the  man,  touching  his  cap  several  times,  to  show  his 
profound  humility. 

"  Come  here,  you  little  hound.  How  dare  you  desert  ?  I'll  have  you  flogged  over 
the  breech  of  a  gun,  you  son  of  a  dog!  Do  you  hear  me — curse  you?"  exclaimed  the 
first  lieutenant. 

"  I  can  hear  you,  sir." 

" Then  why  don't  you  answer  me,  you  vermin?" 

The  boy  bit  his  lips,  and  swallowed  the  insult;  determined  not  to  irritate  his  tyrant 
by  replying  ;  but  upon  glancing  up,  and  seeing  the  sneering  look  of  Crushe  directed 
towards  him,  as  if  he  were  dirt  beneath  his  feet,  he  fearlessly  observed, 

"  I  didn't  answer,  as  you  didn't  give  me  a  chance — '  sides,  I  don't  want  to  be  killed, 
like  Dunstable  was.  I  ain't  afraid  of  you,  though,  although  I  knows  my  life  ain't 
worth  much  in  your  eyes." 

"Stop!  you  mutinous  little  blackguard,  you  shall  get  your  deserts.  I  wish  to 
Heaven  I  could  give  you  four  dozen.  Ship's  corporal,  take  the  little  beast  down  below." 

The  boy,  now  driven  to  desperation,  replied  in  a  mocking  way, 

"  Yes  1  take  him  below,  take  him  down  below — that's  what  the  devil  will  do  to  you 
some  day — see  if  he  don't." 

Shever,  upon  hearing  this  unwarrantable  abuse  of  his  superior,  stepped  before  the 
ship's  corporal,  saying,  "  Allow  me  to  handle  this  brute,"  seized  the  undaunted  infant 
by  the  throat,  and  lifting  him  off  the  deck,  carried  the  precocious  child  below,  where 
Master  William  used  anything  but  proper  language.  The  boy  had  often  heard  the 
men  indulge  in  profanity  when  being  put  in  confinement,  so  he  considered  it  the  cor- 
rect thing  to  do ;  and  it  must  have  been  very  horrible,  as,  upon  his  return  to  the  quar- 
ter-deck, the  boatswain  reported  that  "he  had  to  shut  his  ears,  it  was  so  awful." 

While  the  lad  was  being  attended  to,  Crushe  stood  beside  the  capstan,  and  amused 
himself  by  taunting  the  prisoners,  and  on  the  slightest  word  from  them  would  exclaim, 
"  Silence,  you  brutes !  by  Jupiter  I'll  make  some  of  you  hold  your  tongues  with  a  cat, 
if  you  don't  shut  up  your  jaw.  You  imagined  you  could  give  me  the  slip,  did  you  ? 
bless  you.  I'm  glad  some  of  you  have  tried  it  on ;  particularly  you,  !Mr.  Byrne. 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."       65 

You're  fond  of  praying,  now  pray  for  a  miracle,  as  you'll  get  four  dozen  crosses  on  your 
back  in  spite  of  your  faith.  You're  all  right  this  time,  and  the  devil  himself  won't  save 
you.  I'm  only  sorry  I  can't  flog  the  lot  of  you." 

When  Crushe  had  exhausted  his  spleen  u-pon  the  deserters  as  a  body,  he  directed 
Cravan  to  have  them  brought  singly  before  him.  Some,  like  the  boy  Jordun,  were 
mutinous  ;  these  he  determined  should  be  flogged :  while  others  held  their  peace,  and 
escaped  with  various  light  punishments,  from  "  one  month's  pay  or  grog  stopped,"  to 
"  black  list  for  a  week,"  or  "  watered  grog  for  an  unlimited  period." 

"  In  the  old  times  we  could  have  flogged,  all  of  the  brutes,"  he  observed  to  Cravan, 
"  but  it  would  not  do  to  try  it  on  now ;  besides,  the  old  boy  would  be  afraid  to  sign  the 
warrants." 

"  You  might  flog  them  into  mutiny,"  replied  Nosey.  "  That  fellow  Byrne  muttered 
something  about  better  strike  for  their  rights  like  men,  than  be  treated  like  dogs." 

"  Did  he  ?  "  exclaimed  Crushe. 

"Yes,  and  two  or  three  of  those  you  have  set  down  for  flogging  seemed  half 
inclined  to  be  mutinous ;  besides,  did  you  not  hear  that  little  whelp  Jordun  allude  to 
Dunstable,  just  as  if  you  murdered  him  ?  " 

"  That  was  a  joke.     I  murder  him,  ha,  ha ! "  laughed  Crushe. 

"  Ha,  ha ! "  echoed  Cravan,  but  the  merriment  on  both  sides,  was  forced.  They 
remembered  how  the  poor  idiot  looked  when  he  lay  dead  in  the  sick-bay,  and  the  first 
lieutenant  felt  the  words,  "  murdered  him,"  stir  even  his  dull  conscience. 

Captain  Puffeigh  was  brought  on  deck  during  the  day,  and  the  seven  men  were 
duly  reported  to  him.  Without  the  slightest  inquiry,  upon  the  word  of  his  first 
lieutenant,  he  sentenced  two  to  receive  four,  and  five  of  them  three,  dozen  lashes  upon 
their  bare  backs.  Small  boy  Jordun  was  then  paraded,  and  when  he  found  all  chance 
gone  of  obtaining  justice  from  the  gallant  captain,  he  became  very  insolent ;  observing 
that  the  skipper  would  get  a  thundering  good  pounding  if  ever  he  showed  his  straw- 
berry nose  in  Portsea,  and  that  Crushe  had  better  look  out  for  hisself,  when  his  father 
heered  lie  had  been  flaked. 

i4  The  depravity  of  the  little  fiend  !  To  speak  to  me  in  that  audacious  manner  upon 
my  own  quarter-deck  !  He  ought  to  be  keelhauled.  Don't  you  think  so,  Crushe  ?  " 

Of  course  the  first  lieutenant  agreed  with  his  commander. 

Keelhauling,  gentle  reader,  was  a  frightful  torture  invented  in  a  brutal  age,  and  it 
is  still  sighed  after  by  creatures  like  Puffeigh  and  Crushe.  The  punishment  consisted 
in  slinging  a  man  in  a  peculiar  manner,  by  a  rope  suspended  from  one  yard  arm,  and 
running  under  the  ship  up  to  the  other  yard.  Thus  the  victim  was  drawn  down  into 
the  water,  under  the  ship  (which  sometimes  lacerated  him  in  a  frightful  manner),  and 
then  run  up  to  the  yard  arm  on  the  other  side  If  he  survived  this  he  was  lucky,  as 
generally  the  operation  finished  the  victim.  Puffeigh  felt  sorry  that  he  could  not  break 
the  insolent  boy's  spirit  by  these  gentle  means,  as  the  child's  tender  frame  was  admirably 
adapted  to  bear  such  a  punishment. 

The  commander  shook  his  elegant  signature  upon  the  foot  of  each  "  warrant  for 
punishment."  He  was  not  a  learned  judge,  nor  had  he  "  patiently  and  carefully  gone 
into  each  case,"  according  to  admiralty  orders. 

Upon  the  morning  after  Puffeigh  signed  the  warrants  the  Stingers,  were  all  turned 
out  at  daylight.  It  was  lovely  weather,  and  as  the  ship  steamed  up  the  China  sea 
everything  around  her  looked  calm  and  peaceful,  while  on  board  all  was  terror, 
discontent,  and  unhappiness. 

William  Jordun,  boy  of  the  second  class,  was  the  first  victim :  and  as  small  lads 
are  tied  over  the  breech  of  a  gun,  and  flogged  on  a  corresponding  portion  of  their  own 

5 


66  BLUE   JACKETS  J     OK,    THE    ADVENTURES    OF 

anatomy,  there  was  no  grating  to  rig;  consequently  the  preliminaries  were  of  a 
primitive  and  unostentatious  kind  ;  the  only  persons  to  be  present  being  Crush  3,  the 
assistant  surgeon,  and  the  ship's  boys.  Master  William  knew  that  in  a  manner  the 
eyes  of  the  fleet  were  upon  him,  so  he  determined  to  take  his  punishment  like  a  stoic. 
The  worthy  and  innocent  lads  who  swarmed  round  the  guu  across  which  he  was 
secured  did  all  in  their  power  to  keep  up  his  spirits,  and  until  the  dreaded  first 
lieutenant  made  his  appearance  a  casual  observer  might  have  imagined  the  boys  were 
mustered  to  assist  at  some  pleasing  kind  of  ceremony. 

"  Don't  you  holler,  young  Bill,  and  I'll  give  you  a  plug  of  genewine  Wirginuy," 
observed  one  small  specimen. 

"  I've  got  a  tot  of  grog  stowed  away  for  you,  chummy,  if  you  gives  plenty  ov  lip," 
consolingly  remarked  another. 

"  The  way  that  ere  lad  do  keep  up  'is  pluck,  agin  all  odds  ! "  mumbled  Old  Jemmy, 
who  was  surveying  the  infants  much  as  a  dog  fancier  might  a  lot  of  bull  pups. 

"  You  (shall  have  that  'ere  pair  ov  trousers  wot's  too  small  for  me  if  you  jaw  all  the 
time,  and  don't  sing  out,"  put  in  a  long  specimen,  who  was  on  the  look-out  for  the 
appearance  of  Crushe  and  the  assistant  surgeon  up  the  after-companion.  At  last  he 
cried,  "  Here's  the  saiigvenary  tyrunt;  hold  yer  jaw,  all  ov  yer." 

As  the  boy  was  lashed  to  the  foremost  starboard  gun,  the  lieutenant  and  doctor  had 
to  walk  almost  the  vessel's  length  ;  so  by  the  time  they  reached  the  group  the  lads 
were  as  quiet  as  mice,  and  looking  at  the  prisoner  in  a  virtuously  superior  manner. 

"  All  the  boys  here,  ship's  corporal  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

Upon  this  Crushe  read  the  warrant,  and  without  more  ceremony  ordered  the  boat- 
swain's mate  to  "  do  his  duty." 

When  the  corporal  removed  the  frock  which  hitherto  had  covered  the  boy's  person, 
the  lad  blushed,  and  shut  his  eyes  for  a  moment,  his  position  being  a  most  ignominious 
one.  Price  advanced  cat  in  hand,  and  was  about  to  administer  the  first  cut;  but  seeing 
the  boy's  fair  skin  with  its  faint  blue  veins,  he  threw  down  the  cat,  and  folding  his 
arms,  looked  at  his  superiors  like  one  bewildered. 

The  first  lieutenant  stared  at  the  boatswain's  mate  for  a  moment,  then  demanded  in 
a  severe  tone  if  he  had  been  drinking ;  adding,  if  he  did  not  wish  to  be  disrated,  he 
had  better  go  on  with  the  flogging,  and  mind  he  did  his  duty  effectually. 

Price  looked  at  Crushe,  then  at  the  boy,  and  at  length  murmured  "  Can't  do  it,  sir 
— darn  me  if  I  can — I'd  rather  be  flogged  myself,"  saying  which  he  picked  up  the  cat, 
and  threw  it  overboard. 

"  Go  aft  and  stand  between  two  guns,  you  miserable  old  fool ;  I'll  disrate  you  for 
that,  you  drivelling  idiot,"  bellowed  the  first  lieutenant. 

"  Boatswain,  do  your  duty." 

"  Yes,  boatswain,  do  your  duty,"  mimicked  the  impudent  little  victim ;  "  do  your 
duty,  it's  a  pleasure  to  you,  ain't  it  ?  " 

Mr.  Shever  flogged  boy  Jordun  in  a  highly  expert  and  savage  manner,  but  the  lad 
being  wonderfully  tough-skinned,  he  merely  succeeded  in  inducing  him  to  use  some 
very  powerful  language  for  such  a  small  child.  Not  a  groan  or  tear,  but  with  true 
nautical  freedom,  did  he  bless  Crushe  and  the  rest  of  his  enemies,  asserting  as  the  tails 
curled  round  his  defenceless  body  that  he  should  "  live  to  see  the  lot  of  'em  swing  for 
murder  afore  he  died,  so  help  his  never,  he  would." 

When  a  man  or  boy  is  actually  undergoing  punishment  he  may  give  vent  to  his 
feelings  in  any  way  he  pleases — say  his  prayers,  or  worse — generally  worse,  we  are 
sorry  to  state ;  and  Master  William  Jordun,  boy  of  the  second  class,  feeling  he  was 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B..  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."       67 

being  looked  upon  3.3  a  sort  of  martyr  by  his  fellows,  endured  the  pain,  and  slanged  nia 
superiors  like  a  grown  up  sailor.  It  was  a  fitting  prologue  to  the  performance  which 
followed. 

Having  received  his  two  dozen  lashes,  he  was  cast  off  considerably  worse  in  body 
and  mind,  and  sent  aft  to  remain  in  the  sentry's  charge  until  sunset.  "We  know  he 
was  a  foul-mouthed  little  monkey,  but  what  made  him  so  ?  The  example  of  his 
superiors ;  and  it  is  not  surprising  he  was  bad,  considering  the  beautiful  and  edifying 
language  he  constantly  heard  on  the  part  of  Crushe,  Shever,  and  others. 

By  the  time  the  foregoing  was  completed  Puffeigh  had  made  his  appearance  with 
the  officers  and  engineers  upon  the  quarter-deck,  where  the  grating  was  already  rigged 
for  punishment.  The  same  performance  was  gone  through  as  upon  the  occasion  of 
Clare's  sentence  being  carried  out,  with  this  exception,  the  boys  mingled  with  the  men, 
and  as  the  first  victim  was  "  seized  xip,"  six  others,  among  whom  was  Byrne,  were 
brought  forward  "to  be  improved "  until  their  turns  came.  Three  of  them  bore  their 
punishment  without  a  word,  and  were  sent  below  to  have  their  backs  dressed  by  the 
surgeon.  One  man  cried  and  roared  like  a  child  under  chastisement.  Another  fainted, 
and  was  flogged  during  the  time  he  was  insensible  (some  of  the  crew  observed  that  he 
took  it  "like  a  lamb"),  while  the  other  two  victims,  driven  almost  out  of  their 
senses,  cursed  and  swore  in  a  fearful  manner,  Byrne  vowing  he  would  murder  Puffeigh, 
Crushe,  or  Shever.  "  I'll  have  revenge  on  one  of  you  devils,"  he  yelled,  as  the  last 
stroke  of  the  lashes  scored  his  back  like  so  many  knives. 

"  Iron  him  ;  see  he  doesn't  do  any  damage,"  quavered  Puffeigh,  when  he  saw  they 
•were  casting  the  man  off.  "  Put  him  below  under  a  sentry's  charge  until  we  arrive  at 
Hong-Kong.  I'll  try  you  by  court-martial  for  that  threat,  you  brute." 

The  man  showed  fight,  breaking  from  his  keepers,  and  endeavouring  to  get 
at  Puffeigh,  who  thereupon  beat  a  retreat  to  his  cabin,  saying  he  was  tired.  After  a 
desperate  struggle  the  sailor  was  secured,  gagged,  double-ironed,  and  placed  below 
under  charge  of  a  sentry,  who  was  instructed  to  "  keep  his  eye  on  him,  and  not  to 
allow  any  one  to  speak  to  him."  For  three  days  the  prisoner  remained  perfectlv  quiet ; 
upon  the  fourth,  thinking  the  threats  he  had  made  were  mere  empty  talk,  he  was 
released  by  order  of  the  commander,  Crushe  having  requested  the  same  might  be 
done,  as  he  wanted  the  man's  services. 

It  is  customary  when  a  ship  is  in  the  Chinese  sea  to  keep  a  number  of  loaded  arms 
in  a  rack  under  the  charge  of  a  sentry,  as  in  case  of  falling  in  with  a  pirate  they  may 
be  required  at  a  moment's  notice.  Byrne  had  been  freed  from  confinement,  and  was 
standing  by  the  arm  rack,  waiting  until  the  ship's  corporal  had  replaced  his  irons 
below,  after  which  the  prisoner  was  to  be  taken  before  the  first  lieutenant,  and  officially 
dismissed  to  duty.  The  sentry  had  gone  on  deck  to  report  the  time,  and  no  one  was  in 
the  steerage.  At  this  juncture  Crushe  called  down  the  hatchway  directing  (as  he 
thought)  the  ship's  corporal  to  "  make  haste  and  bring  up  the  prisoner."  At  the  sound 
of  the  hated  officer's  voice,  Byrne  darted  to  the  arm  rack,  seized  a  loaded  musket,  rushed 
up  the  main  hatchway,  and  seeing  an  officer  standing  near,  fired.  The  ball  entered  the 
back  of  his  victim,  who  immediately  fell  upon  the  quarter-deck  as  if  shot  dead.  The 
assassin  threw  down  his  weapon  and  gave  himself  up  to  the  sergeant  of  marines,  who 
was  the  nearest  man  to  him  at  the  time,  exclaiming  as  he  did  so,  "There  !  I  hope  the 
brute  is  dead,  then  he'll  never  kill  any  more  sailors." 

Twenty  men  sprang  forward  to  raise  the  body  from  the  deck,  all  horror-stricken  at 
the  dreadful  tragedy  which  had  been  enacted  before  them.  Few  knew  who  it  was 
that  had  been  shot;  and  as  nearly  all  had  imagined  it  to  be  Crushe,  when  they 
found  that  the  inanimate  body  was  that  of  Lieutenant  Ford,  their  excitement  knew  nc 


68  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVENTUKES  OF 

bounds.  It  was  with  difficulty  the  men  could  be  kept  from  lynching  the  prisoner, 
although  they  knew  full  well  that  he  had  killed  the  good  young  officer  by  mistake, 
instead  of  shooting  one  of  their  tyrants. 

When  the  assassin  found  who  it  was  he  had  fired  at,  he  became  almost  insane, 
erring  out  to  his  guards  td  shoot  him.,  and  endeavouring  to  beat  out  his  brains  upon 
the  deck. 

"  O  God !  "  he  shrieked,  "  Fve  killed  the  best  officer  in  the  fleet.  I'd  have  died  for 
him ;  it  cannot  be  so,  you  lie.  you  soger,  and  do  it  to  frighten  me.  It  was  Crushe.  the 
devil,  that  I  killed,  not  Lieutenant  Ford.  Shipmate,  say  it  wasn't  him  now,  for 
Heaven's  sake." 

"  Sentry,"  roared  the  first  lieutenant,  "  gag  that  brute  ! " 

The  surgeon  was  called,  and  by  his  direction  the  body  was  taken  below  and  laid 
upon  a  cot  in  the  sick-bay,  Tom  Clare,  the  gentlest  of  nurses,  being  directed  to  "  attend 
to  the  instructions  of  the  surgeon,  and  remain  with  the  lieutenant  until  further  orders." 
After  a  time  Ford  opened  his  eyes  and  recognized  those  about  him.  Having  made  a 
superficial  examination  of  his  wound,  the  doctor  placed  him  in  an  easy  position, 
directing  Clare  not  to  let  him  excite  himself  by  talking,  and  absolutely  fort»iddingTom 
to  allow  any  one  to  see  him ;  then  walking  aft  to  the  captain's  cabin  he  reported  his 
opinion  to  Puffeigh,  viz. :  that  Lieutenant  Ford  was  severely  wounded,  and  he  did  not 
think  it  possible  he  could  survive  more  than  a  few  hours.  The  captain  heard  the 
report  without  observation,  and  when  the  surgeon  had  retired  he  sent  for  Crushe, 
telling  him  what  the  doctor  had  said.  As  he  was  speaking  Clare  entered  the  cabin, 
and  hurriedly  informed  them  that  Lieutenant  Ford  wished  to  see  them  at  once,  and 
the  doctor  said  they'd  better  come. 

Puffeigh  turned  pale,  and  muttered  something  about  not  being  well  himself ;  but 
finding  the  first  lieutenant  did  not  help  him  out,  he  mustered  courage  enough  to 
face  the  dying  man,  taking  Crushe  with  him,  in  order  that  the  latter  might  not  escape 
the  scene. 

Ford  had  asked  how  he  was  hurt,  and  if  he  could  survive.  These  questions  had 
been  replied  to  by  the  doctor,  who  informed  him  that  he  had  been  accidentally  shot  by 
one  of  the  men,  and  that  probably  he  might  not  live  long.  The  wounded  officer  heard 
this  announcement  without  a  shudder,  and  presently  inquired,  "  Who  was  it  that  shot 
me  ?  "  As  the  surgeon  did  not  reply,  he  turned  his  brilliant  eyes  full  upon  the  face 
of  Clare,  who  being  thus  mutely  appealed  to,  observed, 

"  Byrne,  sir,  but  he  didn't  know  it  was  you." 

"  I  forgive  him,  with  all  my  heart,"  said  Ford.     "  Send  for  Captain  Puffeigh.'' 

Knowing  the  poor  fellow  had  but  a  short  time  to  live,  the  good  surgeon  sent  Tom 
Clare  to  the  commander,  as  we  have  just  related. 

Upon  the  captain's  entering  the  sick-bay,  Ford  motioned  Clare  to  give  him  some 
water.  Seeing  this,  the  doctor  administered  a  stimulant,  as  he  knew  the  wounded 
officer  very  much  desired  to  make  a  communication  before  he  died. 

"  Send  that  sailor  away,"  whispered  Puffeigh. 

"  He  cannot  leave  his  charge,"  quietly  observed  the  surgeon,  who  now  lifted  up  his 
finger,  to  enjoin  silence. 

Looking  towards  the  captain,  Ford  spoke  as  follows  : — "  Captain  Puffeigh — the  poor 
fellow — who  did  this — deserves — your  pity.  I  forgive — him — and  Crushe — knowing  it 
was  you  he  in — tended — to  kill,  I  shall  be  happy  to  die — for  YOU — if  I  can — be  assured 
you  will — cease — to  tyrannize — over — the  crew — Don't  flog — any — more.  Promise  me 
— to  save  Byrne's — life." 

"I'll  do  all  I  can  to  save  him,  Ford — but  you  are  not  dying — **  quavered  Puffeigh. 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."       69 

Ford  tried  to  stretch  forth  his  hand,  to  grasp  that  of  his  senior,  but  his  strength 
failed  him,  and  with  a  faint  smile  he  exclaimed,  "  G-od  bless — you — for  the  prom — " 
but  was  prevented  finishing  the  sentence  by  the  blood  rising  in  his  throat. 

Puffeigh  was  so  frightened  that  he  had  to  be  supported  by  Crushe,  as  ho  left  the 
dying  officer's  presence.  When  they  arrived  aft  the  latter  coolly  observed, 

"  I'm  sorry  for  Ford — but  it  was  a  very  narrow  escape  for  either  of  us." 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  captain,    "  it  was,   no   doubt,   an   act  of   Providence   that  we 


The  brutal  officers  actually  imagined  their  Creator  had  specially  interfered  to  save 
one  of  their  miserable  lives  ;  and  they  were  not  the  first  tyrants  who  have  flattered 
themselves  in  that  manner. 

Lieutenant  Ford  never  rallied  sufficiently  to  give  directions  as  to  the  disposal  of 
his  affairs,  but  lay  calmly  and  patiently,  as  if  waiting  for  the  messenger  of  death. 
Onffe  he  murmured  "  Florence."  He  evidently  was  conscious  that  he  was  dying,  yet 
death  seemed  to  have  no  terror  for  him.  The  doctor  and  Clare  prayed  for  the  poor 
fellow,  each  according  to  his  faith,  and  the  Christian's  lips  moved  in  response  to 
theirs.  "Whatever  his  belief  might  have  been,  he  certainly  was  a  good  man,  and  far 
above  the  narrow  prejudices  of  sect.  He  lay  there — calm  and  peaceful — with  a 
rapturous,  heavenly  expression  of  countenance,  as  if,  though  still  lingering  by  its 
earthly  form,  his  spirit  was  fore-tasting  the  joys  of  a  better  world.  About  noon  he 
breathed  his  last ;  and  so  quietly  did  the  soul  pass  away,  that  when  the  sorrowing 
midshipmen,  who  were  silently  grouped  round  the  entrance  to  the  sick-bay,  were 
informed  that  the  happy  face  was  that  of  a  dead  man,  they  could  not  believe  it.  One 
by  one  they  came  in  and  gazed  upon  their  dead  friend,  some  finding  it  hardly  possible 
to  restrain  their  grief. 

About  sunset  the  body  of  Lieutenant  Ford  was  committed  to  the  deep — cast  over- 
board into  the  sea — to  be  devoured  by  fishes,  or  float  about  until  dispersed  by  the  water 
— far  away  from  friends,  and  the  gentle  being  who  loved  him  so  dearly,  and  to  whom 
he  had  been  so  tenderly  attached. 

Puffeigh  buried  the  body  with  all  the  puny  pomp  of  an  officer's  funeral  at  sea.  It 
mattered  little  to  the  noble  spirit  whether  a  few  meaningless  ceremonies  were  performed 
or  omitted ;  "  his  soul  was  gone  aloft,"  and  could  not  be  recalled  or  affected  by  the 
commander's  "  service." 

The  sailors  were  all  deeply  grieved  at  the  sudden  death.  Ford  had  always  treated 
them  in  a  kind  and  proper  manner,  and  his  untimely  end  was  probably  as  sincerely 
lamented  forward  as  aft.  No  man  felt  more  sorrow  than  his  assassin.  The  remem- 
brance of  his  own  sufferings  seemed  to  have  been  entirely  forgotten  by  him,  so  absorbed 
was  he  in  the  recollection  of  the  dreadful  crime  he  had  committed.  Crushe  heaped 
every  kind  of  insult  and  torture  he  could  devise  upon  the  man,  who  bore  all  with  the 
resignation  of  a  martyr. 

Upon  one  occasion  the  first  lieutenant  cursed  the  prisoner  to  his  face,  and  observed, 

"  Ah !  you  brute,  you  thought  to  murder  me,  did  you  ?  " 

Upon  hearing  this  the  man  quietly  replied, 

"  Forgive  me,  sir — I  am  sorry  for  it." 

"  Forgive  you,  you  hound !  Yes — I'll  forgive  yoii  when  you're  swinging  from  the 
yard-arm." 

Instead  of  checking  Crushe  in  his  shameful  tyranny,  the  death  of  his  brother  officer 
seemed  to  make  him  perfectly  reckless,  he  doubtless  thinking  there  was  now  no  appeal 
or  chance  of  hearing  for  his  victims.  He  never  for  a  moment  appeared  to  remember 


70  BLUE   JACKETS  ;    OE,    THE   ADVENTURES    OF 

that  Ford's  words  about  "dying  for  him"  were  true,  and  indeed,  one  day,  when 
discussing  the  good  officer's  death,  he  remarked  to  Cravan, 

"  Possibly  I  should  have  done  the  magnanimous  had  I  been  in  poor  Ford's  place. 
He  could  afford  to  say,  'Bless  you,  shipmates,'  as  he  knew  very  well  that  his  anchor 
was  tripped." 

Nosey  did  not  make  any  reply  to  this  brutal  speech,  as  the  mere  recollection  of  the 
affair  made  him  shudder. 

When  the  Stinger  arrived  at  Hong-Kong.  Byrne  was  sent  on  board  the  flagship, 
and  after  a  few  days  had  elapsed,  a  court-martial  was  called  upon  his  case.  A  well- 
known  lawyer  offered  gratuitously 'to  assist  the  prisoner,  but  his  services  were  respect- 
fully declined. 

Crushe,  the  ship's  corporal,  and  sergeant  of  marines,  were  the  principal  witnesses 
against  the  man  ;  some  petty  officers  were  also  examined,  but  not  a  word  was  said  that 
would  lead  any  member  of  the  court  to  imagine  the  first  lieutenant  was  anything^but 
a  gentle,  humane  officer. 

The  man  had  no  defence,  nor  would  he  throw  himself  upon  the  mercy  of  the  court, 
all  he  wanted  being  to  die. 

After  mature  deliberation,  the  court  found  the  prisoner  "  Guilty,"  without  the 
•usual  recommendation  to  mercy,  and  the  president  passed  sentence  of  death  in  the 
ordinary  form  ;  adding  that  the  prisoner  was  to  be  hanged  from  the  yard-arm,  and  that 
the  sentence  was  to  be  carried  out  on  board  the  Stinger. 

Byrne  received  the  sentence  with  a  calmness  which  was  almost  touching  ;  and  after 
bowing  to  the  president  was  handcuffed,  and  taken  back  to  his  cell. 

The  chaplain  visited  the  doomed  man,  but  the  latter  declined  his  services,  observing 
that  he  did  not  require  government  religion,  as  his  own  faith  was  sufficient  to  carry 
him  through. 

One  morning  at  sunrise  the  Stinger  steamed  out  of  Hong-Kong  harbour,  with  several 
boats  towing  alongside.  These  had  brought  "black-list  men  "  from  various  ships  in 
the  fleet,  who  were  detailed  to  assist  at  the  execution  of  Byrne.  Forward  on  the  ham- 
mock netting,  abreast  of  the  fore  hatchway,  and  over  a  gun  port,  a  grating  was  rigged 
platform  wise ;  to  this  the  fatal  noose  was  secured  by  a  rope  yarn,  the  fall  being  led 
across  the  deck  to  the  starboard  side,  so  that  the  black-list  men  could  not  see  the  object 
which  they  were  to  run  aloft. 

"When  the  crew  were  mustered  and  duly  placed  in  position,  the  prisoner  was  brought 
up  from  below,  guarded  on  either  side  by  sentries.  As  he  ascended  the  fore  hatchway 
his  eyes  fell  upon  the  grating,  but  he  preserved  his  coolness,  and  in  fact  gave  a  sigh  of 
relief  at  beholding  it.  When  he  had  removed  his  jumper,  the  commander  gave  the 
order  to  pinion  him.  This  being  done,  as  far  as  the  arms  were  concerned,  Puffeigh 
read  the  warrant  for  execution,  then  turning  to  the  man,  observed, 

"  Prisoner,  if  you  wish  to  say  a  few  words  to  your  shipmates  you  can  do  so,  but  be 
brief  and  temperate  in  your  language." 

Facing  round  towards  his  shipmates,  Byrne  spoke  as  follows  : — "  Messmates  and 
shipmates,  I  didn't  mean  to  kill  Lieutenant  Ford,  and  I  willingly  die  for  my 
crime ;  but  if  any  of  you  ever  become  free  men  again,  tell  the  world  how  sailors 
are  treated.  Good-bye;  God  bless  and  deliver  you  from  all  your  slavery." 

The  commander  bit  his  lips  and  looked  round  at  the  men,  who,  upon  hearing  these 
bold  words,  uttered  a  murmur  of  pity. 

"  Silence  !  "  he  roared.     "  Boatswain,  do  your  duty." 

Shever  and  his  mates  had  stationed  the  black-list  men  at  the  fall,  on  the  other  side 
of  the  deck  •  and  upon  receiving  these  instructions  he  helped  the  prisoner  to  mount 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    "  THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE/'  71 

ihe  platform.  When  he  had  taken  his  stand  upon  the  horizontal  grating,  the  boats- 
wain and  his  assistants  secured  his  lower  limbs.  As  they  were  doing  this,  Byrne 
evidently  prayed,  as  his  lips  moved,  and  every  now  and  then  he  reverently  bowed  his 
head.  Then  upon  a  signal  from  the  captain,  Shever  fitted  the  cap,  and  having  adjusted 
the  fatal  noose,  slipped  off  the  grating,  and  stood  beside  Puffeigh. 

The  captain  nodded  assent.  "  Hoist  away  ! "  piped  the  boatswain,  and  the  same  was 
repeated  by  his  mates.  The  gunner's-mate  fired  the  gun  which  protruded  from  the 
port  under  the  platform  where  the  wretched  man  was  standing,  and  Byrne  was  run 
aloft  in  the  smoke.  The  rope  was  so  adjusted,  that  upon  the  body  nearly  reaching  the 
yard-arm  a  seizing  parted,  and  the  man  fell  about  three  feet  below  the  yard,  the  drop 
breaking  his  neck  most  effectually. 

The  black-list  men  hurried  over  the  ship's  side  into  their  boats,  and  the  Stinger 
steamed  slowly  out  of  the  harbour  with  the  body  of  the  late  able  seaman  swinging 
from  the  yard-arm.  After  steaming  for  an  hour  in  the  direction  of  Cap-sing-moon 
Passage,  the  boatswain  was  directed  to  cut  the  body  adrift.  Shever  went  aloft,  and 
out  upon  the  yard-arm  like  one  about  to  perform  a  noble  action.  Upon  arriving  at  the 
end  of  the  yard  he  drew  forth  a  knife,  and  leaning  over  severed  the  rope  by  which 
Byrne  was  suspended,  upon  which  the  body  shot  down  like  a  plummet,  and  disappeared 
beneath  the  water.  Shever  peered  down  after  it,  shading  his  eyes  with  his  hands,  to 
see  if  it  rose  again. ;  but  beyond  a  few  bubbles  over  the  spot,  there  was  nothing  to  be 
seen,  the  body  possibly  being  seized  by  sharks. 

"He's  gone,  and  be  hanged  to  him  !"  said  the  boatswain.  Upon  which  he  looked 
down  upon  the  up-turned  faces  of  the  crew  and  grinned  like  a  baboon,  then  reclosed 
his  knife,  placed  it  in  his  pocket,  and  descended  to  the  quarter-deck,  where  he  reported 
the  business  to  Crushe. 

"  I  think  we  did  that  werry  scientific,"  observed  the  brute  to  his  superior. 

"  Very  well  indeed,  Mr.  Shever,"  sneered  the  first  lieutenant.  "  When  they  want  a 
hangman  on  shore,  you'd  better  volunteer  for  the  appointment." 

The  boatswain  smiled  and  saluted,  as  if  a  great  compliment  had  been  paid  him. 
After  which  he  went  below — drank  freely,  and  was  finally  put  to  bed  for  sunstroke, 
brute  as  he  was,  the  morning's  work  being  too  much  for  his  nerves. 

Report  says  that  the  ghost  of  Byrne  duly  haunted  the  ship,  and  from  time  to  time 
appeared  to  sundry  sailors  and  small  boys,  whom  it  frightened  out  of  their  wits,  but  it 
never  seemed  to  trouble  the  captain,  or  any  of  its  former  persecutors,  possibly  thinking 
it  had  enough  of  those  worthies'  attention  when  in  the  flesh,  without  troubling  itself  about 
them  when  in  the  spirit.  We  leave  this  mythical  point  to  be  settled  by  spiritualists. 


72  BLUE  JACKETS;  OR,  THE  ADVENTURES  or 


CHAPTER  XI. 

AFTER  the  body  of  Byrne  had  been  disposed  of,  the  Stinger  returned  to  Hong-Kong, 
where  the  men,  one  watch  at  a  time,  were  permitted  to  visit  the  shore.  Many  of  them 
deserted,  and  succeeded  in  making  good  their  escape  in  American  ships,  which  left  the 
harbour  about  that  time;  others  joined  piratical  Chinese  vessels,  and  became  notorious 
for  their  cruelty  towards  their  captives;  while  the  less  cautious  sailors,  getting  intoxi- 
cated and  overstaying  their  leave  of  absence,  were  re-captured  by  the  ship's  corporal 
and  sergeant  of  marines,  who  were  paid  the  usual  blood  money  for  their  activity  in 
securing  the  deserters.  When  the  ship  was  thoroughly  refitted,  and  the  vacancies  in 
her  crew  had  been  filled  by  drafts  from  other  vessels,  Puffeigh  was  directed  to  proceed 
to  sea  in  search  of  pirates ;  the  admiral  imagining  that,  if  he  sent  the  Stingers  away  for 
a  time  upon  active  service,  their  commander  would  be  enabled  to  get  them  into  some- 
thing like  discipline,  they  having  been  represented  to  him  as  "  a  lot  of  worthless 
wretches,  who  could  only  be  kept  in  order  by  the  cat-o'-nine  tails." 

During  their  cruise  Crushe  succeeded  in  bringing  several  of  the  new  men  to  the 
gratings,  and  his  general  language  and  conduct  towards  the  crew  were  as  bad  as  ever. 

After  having  searched  the  coast  for  over  six  months,  during  which  time  they  cap- 
tured and  destroyed  a  great  number  of  junks,  lorchas,  and  other  piratical  craft,  the 
Stinger  returned  to  Hong-Kong,  where  her  officers  and  crew  received  their  letters  and 
newspapers,  which  had  accumulated  at  the  Post-Office  during  their  absence,  the  delivery 
to  the  crew  taking  place  as  follows.  The  ship's  corporal  and  Sergeant  Spine  having 
obtained  the  sack  of  mails,  proceeded,  forward  with  it,  and  upon  reaching  the  forecastle 
shot  the  contents  into  a  dry  wash  deck  tub ;  then  the  boatswain  piped,  "  Hands,  lay  for- 
ward for  your  letters."  Every  one  was  on  the  alert,  and  a  dozen  men  who  could  read 
clustered  round  the  tub,  and  assisted  in  the  pleasing  task  of  distributing  the  epistles. 

"BillBowker!" 

"  Gone  ashore.     I'm  his  chum — here,  chuck  it  over." 

"  Jerry  Thompson ! — one,  two,  three  letters." 

"  Heave  'em  here,"  cried  the  wag,  who  had  brought  up  a  bucket  in  which  to  receive 
his  correspondence. 

"Charles  Smith!" 

"  Vich  Chawles  is  it  ?  "  demanded  a  stumpy  individual ;  is  it  I  or  Conkey  Smith  ?  " 

"  Tommy  Sims  !  " 

"Runned  away,"  observed  one  of  the  boys. 

"  Charles  Dunstable — oh  !  he's  dead." 

"  Harry  Tomlin!" 

"  Bolted  at  Singapore." 

"  Tom  Clare !  three  letters  for  you,  old  man." 

"  Jerry  Thompson '  Jerry  Thompson !  here  you  are,  a  regular  bunch  of  'em.  All 
the  girls  in  Portsmouth  must  av  bin  awriting  you,  Jerry." 

"  Werry  possible,"  coolly  retorted  the  coxswain.  "  It's  more  than  they'd  do  to  you, 
old  fetch-and-carry." 

"  Mister  Robert  Brown  !  Here  Bobby,  here's  a  letter  from  one  of  them  ere  lords  as 
you  is  related  to." 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."       73 

"  Chuck  it  over  ere,  and  hold  yer  thundering  jaw,"  growled  the  gentleman 
alluded  to. 

"When  the  tub  was  cleared  of  its  contents,  a  sale  of  letters  commenced,  i.  e.  those 
who  had  none  purchased  one  or  two  at  second  hand  from  their  more  fortunate 
shipmates. 

"  Now,  then,"  shouted  a  freckled-face  Pat,  "  here's  a  chance  for  yez,  my  boys, — a 
letthur  from  me  Cousin  Eiley — full  av  love  and  tinderness.  Who  sez  a  pint  ov  grog 
for  this  ?  wid  two  songs,  one  called  '  Teddy  Regan,'  and  the  other  '  Nora  O'Shane,'  put 
into  the  bargain.  The  letthur  is  worth  all  the  grog,  as  it's  chock  full  of  family  matters. 
Come,  me  boys !  who  sez  a  pint  ?  "  Upon  this  a  big,  stupid-looking  topman  called  out 
in  a  half-ashamed  manner, — "  Heave  it  over  here,  Tim,  I'll  give  ye  a  pint  for  it  next 
time  I'm  cook."  Having  received  it,  the  man  walked  below  to  his  mess,  where  he 
indulged  in  the  luxury  of  spelling  over  the  letter,  which  we  will  give,  with  his 
comments  upon  the  same. 

"  Limerick  (I  wish  I  was  there). 

"  MY  DARLIN  TIM  (that's  affectionate,  anyhow), 

"  Ye  will  be  sorry  to  learn  that  your  aunt  O'Brien  is  dead,  an'  has  bin  waked 
and  berried,  rest  her  sowld."  (She's  a  good  religious  girl,  anyhow.)  "  Peter  McMahon 
swears  he'll  kill  ye  the  fust  time  he  sets  eyes  on  ye,  as  yer  brother  Michael  split  the 
skull  of  his  father's  uncle  during  the  wake."  (Never  mind,  Tim  ;  I'll  help  you.)  "  Tim 
achushla  machree,  send  us  yer  half  pay,  for  the  love  of  Mary — we're  nigh  starved  at 
times,  an'  it's  hard  work  for  a  poor  girl  to  keep  straight,  and  she  so  poor  and  so  many 
temptations  round  her."  (Poor  girl,  I'll  send  her  my  half  pay  if  he  don't.  Tim  ain't 
half  thoughtful  for  her.)  "  Mary  Connor  is  married,  and  her  husband  gone  to  sea 
with  a  black  eye  she  gave  him  "  (I  suppose  he  deserved  it,  anyhow) ;  "  an'  Kathleen 
Shea  wants  to  know  if  ye  mean  to  keep  yer  word  with  her."  (If  he  don't  I  will.) 

"  Yer  mother  sends  her  love,  and  with  the  same  from  yer  loving 

"  EILEY  HOOKEY." 

(Bless  her  dear  heart,  how  life-like  she  do  write  ;  that's  what  I  call  a  nateral  sort  of 
letter.) 

At  the  first  quiet  opportunity,  the  sailor  questioned  Tim  as  to  what  his  Cousin 
Eily  was  like,  and  the  answer  he  obtained  was  a  quencher  to  his  passion.  "  She's  an 
ould  devil,  as  keeps  a  fruit  stall,  an'  is  as  ugly  as  the  skipper,  an'  that's  saying  no 
little,  me  boy.  But  if  ye  wants  to  fall  in  love  wid  an  illigant  slip  ov  a  colleen,  I'll 
intrejuce  yez  to  me  Cousin  Nora  for  a  trifle  ov  grog."  However,  once  bit  twice  shy, 
and  the  now  ealightened  sailor  concluded  to  leave  Tim's  relations  alone. 

Thompson  received  about  twenty-five  letters  in  all,  including  one  in  the  German 
language  from  Miss  Pferdscreptern,  which  having  opened,  turned  over,  and  held  in 
every  conceivable  position,  he  reluctantly  sold  to  a  foretopman,  who,  not  being  able  to 
read,  did  not  care  whether  it  was  in  German  or  Hebrew.  After  picking  out  Mary 
Ann's  epistles,  Jerry  sold  the  balance  of  his  correspondence  unopened,  and  realized 
thereby  a  very  handsome  profit. 

Clare  had  three  short  notes  from  Polly,  that  is,  they  were  written  for  her  by  a  friend, 
as  she  was  unable  to  write  even  her  own  signature,  although  she  contrived  to  spell  out 
the  letters  Tom  sent  her,  he  always  writing  in  a  very  round  hand  for  her  accommoda- 
tion. Clare  found  that  his  wife  had  made  him  a  father,  and  that  the  mother  and  child 
were  doing  well. 


74  BLUE  JACKETS;  OB,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

"  God  bless  the  dear  creetur  and  her  babby,"  he  murmured,  and  a  big  tear  stole 
down  his  cheek  and  dropped  upon  the  paper. 

As  the  correspondence  was  written  by  a  stranger,  he  did  not  expect  there  would  be 
many  tender  passages,  but  he  found  the  letters  cold  and  formal,  and  for  the  moment 
cursed  his  fate,  and  imagined  how  warmly  she  would  greet  him  with  her  own  lips 
could  he  but  see  her  then.  However,  he  knew  she  was  naturally  shy ;  and  comforting 
himself  with  the  reflection  that  they  would  meet  when  his  time  was  up,  he  put  the 
letters  in  his  tobacco  box,  and  went  in  search  of  Jerry  Thompson,  to  whom  he  imparted 
the  news. 

"  Well,  I'm  werry  glad  to  think  it's  a  boy,  but  wouldn't  you  have  liked  a  gal  better, 
Tom?" 

"I  like  either  a  gal  or  a  boy  ;  it's  all  the  same  to  me." 

"  Well !  you're  a  father  and  I  ain't,  but  if  I  was  in  your  shoes  I'd  prefer  a  gal.  I 
always  likes  the  gals  afore  any  other  sex.  By-the-by,  I  have  heered  from  my  Mary 
Ann." 

"  Have  you  ?     What  does  she  say  ?  " 

"  Well,  first  of  all  she  says  her  missis  av  bin  werry  dicky  and  likely  to  croak,  and 
the  sawboneses  sent  them  off  to  Nice  for  the  air,  and  she's  as  hearty  as  a  brick,  and  a 
learnin'  French  like  one  o'clock.  But  I  hope  she  won't  learn  it  on  the  same  principle 
as  I  did  G-erman." 

Clare  who  was  very  little  interested  in  his  friend's  recital,  inquired  rather  vaguely, 

"  Have  you  ever  learned  German  ?  " 

"Yes — well — I — excuse  me;  there's  the  old  man  a  hollerin'  for  me.  Good-bye, 
Tom."  Saying  which  the  coxswain  got  up  and  walked  briskly  aft,  as  if  in  obedience  to 
the  captain's  summons. 

The  ship  had  been  in  harbour  about  a  week  and  everything  was  adrift,  as  is  usually 
the  case  during  refitting,  when  a  signal  was  made  from  the  flag-ship  for  "  the  Stinger 
to  proceed  to  sea."  A  number  of  the  men  had  just  mustered  upon  the  quarter-deck 
previous  to  going  on  shore,  and  were  of  course  dismissed  to  duty  again,  and  the  signal 
made  for  all  boats  to  come  off  at  once.  Knowing  the  ship  was  short-handed ,  some  of 
the  crew  being  absent  on  leave,  the  admiral  sent  about  forty  picked  seamen  and  twenty 
marines  on  board,  and  in  a  few  hours  everything  was  ready  for  sea,  upon  which  they 
slipped  anchor,  and  made  the  best  of  their  way  through  the  Cap-sing-moon  Passage. 

Crushe  adopted  quite  a  conciliatory  manner  when  speaking  to  the  supernumeraries, 
knowing  it  would  not  do  to  bully  them  as  he  did  his  own  men,  consequently  the  former 
thought  "  the  Stingers  were  a  dissatisfied  lot,  who,  without  a  cause,  gave  their  first 
lieutenant  a  bad  name." 

By  daylight  they  arrived  off  the  bay  to  which  they  had  been  guided  by  Hoo-kee, 
their  pilot,  who,  clad  in  a  cast-off  suit  of  Puffeigh's,  walked  the  bridge  in  a  dignified 
manner ;  never  leaving  his  elevated  position  until  the  first  shot  was  fired,  upon  which 
he  darted  below,  and  hid  himself  in  a  sand-tank  until  the  engagement  was  over. 

Hoo-kee  told  Puffeigh  that  they  were  off  the  entrance  of  a  bay  which  contained  a 
regular  fleet  of  piratical  junks,  commanded  by  one  Seh-wang  ;  and  he  strongly  urged 
him  to  send  away  his  boats  and  attack  the  junks  under  cover  of  the  fog,  it  being 
impossible  to  take  the  ship  in  during  the  time  it  continued.  Upon  this  Lieutenant 
Wilton,  who  had  been  appointed  to  the  vacancy  caused  by  Ford's  death,  informed  the 
commander  that  he  "  knew  every  inch  of  the  bay,  having  surveyed  it  about  a  year  ago." 
After  a  short  consultation,  and  being  urged  strongly  by  the  master,  who  was  also  an 
old  China  ranger,  Puffeigh  reluctantly  consented,  and  with  the  leads  going  in  both 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."       75 

chains,  the  Stinger  slowly  steamed  into  the  bay,  in  spite  of  the  fog,  which  was,  to  use  a 
nautical  expression,  as  thick  as  pea-soup. 

The  master  went  out  upon  the  jibboom  and  watched  for  the  slightest  lift  in  the  fog, 
while  the  captain  and  Lieutenant  Wilton  piloted  the  ship  from  the  bridge. 

"  Starboard !  "  cried  "Wilton.  "  Starboard  !  "  bawled  Puffeigh.  "  Junk  ahead  !  port 
your  helm  !  "  roared  the  master  from  forward. 

Round  went  the  wheel,  and  the  Stinger  shot  past  a  huge  junk,  which  loomed 
through  the  fog  like  a  line-of-battle  ship. 

"  Steady  !  Let  go  the  anchor  !  "  commanded  the  master,  who  thereupon  came  aft 
and  reported  to  the  captain  that  during  a  break  in  the  fog  he  had  seen  several  junks 
ahead,  and  it  was  advisable  to  heave  short,  and  prepare  for  warm  work,  as  soon  as  it 
cleared. 

Puffeigh  fussed  about  like  an  old  woman,  first  directing  the  guns  to  be  loaded  with 
shot,  then  countermanding  the  order,  and  giving  instructions  to  load  with  shell ;  and 
finally,  by  the  advice  of  the  master,  who  almost  took  charge  of  the  ship,  he  ordered 
them  to  load  with  grape  and  canister.  The  gunner  and  his  mates  prayed  for  him. 

Crushe  worried  round  and  blustered  like  the  Pistol  that  he  was,  now  and  then 
ordering  some  youngster  out  of  what  the  lad  considered  a  snug  place,  swearing  he'd 
have  no  skulking  cowards  in  his  ship,  and  all  the  time  wishing  himself  somewhere 
else. 

The  man  who  talks  big  before  an  engagement  is  generally  very  quiet  during  the 
fight,  and  it  proved  so  in  this  instance.  Puffeigh  was  not  afraid  ;  but  being  thoroughly 
incompetent  to  take  his  ship  into  action,  had  to  rely  upon  the  master  and  Lieutenant 
Wilton. 

The  ship  had  been  cleared  for  action  before  they  arrived  off  the  bay,  so  there  wag 
very  little  to  do  after  they  had  anchored,  but  to  man  the  capstan,  ready  to  weigh,  the 
moment  they  could  descry  the  pirates. 

Wilton  requested  permission  to  go  ahead  of  the  ship  and  explore  the  bay,  but 
thinking  the  risk  too  great,  the  commander  would  not  allow  him  to  do  so.  The  men 
were  standing  round  their  guns,  which  were  all  fully  manned — here  and  there  along 
the  deck  being  stationed  powder-monkeys  —  i.  e.  boys  detailed  to  pass  the  leathern 
cases  containing  charges  of  gunpowder,  who,  seated  on  their  cartridge  boxes,  looked 
into  the  fog  as  knowingly  as  the  oldest  salts  in  the  ship.  Some  of  the  men  munched 
biscuit,  which  was  surreptitiously  obtained  from  below  by  the  more  daring  boys,  who 
risked  punishment  to  curry  favor  with  the  seamen  ;  and  all  of  them  imbibed  pretty 
freely  of  the  usual  fighting  drink — oatmeal  and  water — tubs  of  that  Scottish  beverage 
being  placed  in  different  parts  of  the  upper  deck. 

Crushe,  Puffeigh,  and  Mr.  Beauman,  the  master,  were  consulting  upon  the  bridge, 
when  suddenly  the  fog  lifted,  upon  which  the  skipper  became  very  much  excited,  and 
directed  the  port  bow-gun  to  be  fired,  "  to  wake  'em  up,  you  know." 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  don't  do  that !  "  urged  the  master ;  "  we  will  wake  them  up  in 
a  moment ;  they  mustn't  see  us  just  yet." 

Upon  this  the  captain  held  his  peace,  and  left  the  manoeuvring  to  be  done  by  abler 
persons,  contenting  himself  by  looking  very  imposing,  and  whenever  he  could  catch 
a  sentence  bellowing  it  through  his  speaking-trumpet  to  the  officer  for  whom  it  was 
intended.  The  men  laughed  at  him  behind  his  back,  as  all  of  them  could  see  he  was 
utterly  adrift. 

Away  steamed  the  Stinger  straight  for  the  nearest  craft,  which  proved  to  be  a  lorcha, 
and  by  no  means  a  despicable  enemy.  She  was  evidently  well  manned  and  armed,  and 
quite  prepared  for  the  man-of-war.  The  rest  of  the  pirates  were  further  up  the  bay, 


76  BLUE  JACKETS;  OR,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

some  of  them  being  but  partly  visible,  as  the  fog  still  lingered  there ;  but  they  were 
all  now  awake,  and  firing  crackers  to  their  gods,  or  beating  gongs  in  a  very  energetic 
and  ferocious  manner. 

The  big  lorcha  suddenly  swung  round,  and  sent  a  hail  of  shot  across  the  Stinger's 
decks.  No  one  was  hurt  by  this  discharge,  the  crew  all  being  down  behind  their  guns, 
which  formed,  as  it  were,  so  many  breastworks  for  them ;  but  the  ship  was  twice 
hulled,  once  badly  on  the  port  bow  near  the  water  line.  The  Stinger  quickly  put  her 
helm  a-port,  as  the  lorcha  was  again  endeavouring  to  swing  into  position,  so  as  to  give 
her  another  broadside.  They  were  now  within  a  cable's  length  of  the  pirate ;  but,  in 
spite  of  her  rapid  firing,  they  steamed  right  ahead.  "Wilton  and  Mr.  Beauman  were 
on  the  bridge  with  the  captain,  who,  when  he  saw  they  intended  to  run  into  the  lorcha, 
and  carry  her  by  boarding,  bristled  up,  and  seizing  his  speaking-trumpet  bellowed 
forth, 

"  Hands,  repel  boarders  on  both  bows ! " 

Up  sprang  the  men,  who  obedient  to  orders  rushed  forward  and  swarmed  upon  the 
forecastle.  Crash  came  another  broadside  from  the  pirate,  killing  two  men  and  wound- 
ing several  others.  One  moment  more,  and  the  steam-ship  ran  into  the  lorcha.  Smash 
went  the  bulwarks  of  the  latter,  and  with  a  hearty  cheer  the  sailors  swarmed  over  the 
Stinger's  bows,  upon  seeing  which  many  of  the  pirates  leapt  overboard.  Thompson  was 
delighted,  and  had  several  combats  with  his  enemies,  who  were  rapidly  disarmed 
and  kicked  over-board  by  the  good-natured  fellow.  As  he  was  one  of  the  first 
men  below,  he  had  the  honour  of  killing  the  pirate-captain,  Seh-wang.  On  enter- 
ing the  .stateroom,  Jerry  found  himself  confronted  by  that  huge  Chinaman  who 
was  fencing  at  him  with  two  swords,  uttering  most  unearthly  sounds  as  he  did 
so.  The  sailor  quietly  cut  down  his  guard,  and  then  told  him  to  get  out  of 
the  port,  upon  which  Seh-wang  fumbled  in  his  dress  for  a  moment,  then  drawing  forth 
a  revolver,  shut  both  eyes  and  pulled  the  trigger.  Snick  went  the  cap,  but  no  other 
report  followed.  Upon  this  Jerry  ran  him  through  the  body,  and  having  looted  him, 
i.  e.,  taken  everything  valuable,  he  coolly  secured  his  plunder  and  went  on  deck, 
reaching  it  just  in  time  to  jump  on  board  the  Stinger,  which  was  now  becoming  a  mark 
for  the  pirates  at  the  upper  end  of  the  bay.  When  he  got  to  the  quarter-deck  he 
informed  Puffeigh  that  he  had  killed  the  Chinese  captain,  but  as  the  lorcha  was  fired 
by  the  Stingers,  the  fact  of  his  killing  Seh-wang  was  never  proved,  although  the 
Chinese  declared  he  perished  with  the  ship,  and  Thompson  lost  special  mention  for 
bravery  ;  but  he  consoled  himself  with  his  loot,  and  considered  the  account  balanced. 
Had  the  fact  of  his  having  searched  the  body  been  known,  Puffeigh  would  have  com- 
pelled him  to  disgorge  his  plunder,  his  maxim  being  that  all  such  articles  belonged  to 
himself. 

The  Stinger  now  made  the  best  of  her  way  up  the  bay ;  as  she  did  so,  keeping  up  a 
galling  fire  from  her  bow  guns.  Having  arrived  nearly  within  short  range  of  the 
pirates'  fire,  Puffeigh  ordered  the  anchor  to  be  let  go,  and  when  the  ship  swung  to  the 
tide,  she  being  broadside  on,  poured  a  telling  discharge  into  the  junks,  two  or  three  of 
which  were  shortly  afterwards  discovered  to  be  on  fire.  The  pirates  replied  in  a  most 
determined  manner,  and  a  severe  engagement  ensued,  during  which  the  ship  was  badly 
hulled  and  several  men  killed  or  wounded.  Old  Price,  who  was  acting  as  captain  of  the 
starboard  bow  gun,  was  cut  in  two  by  a  chain  shot.  Boy  Jordun,  who  seemed  to  think 
the  engagment  was  a  sort  of  theatrical  spectacle,  and  who  ran  about  as  unconcernedly 
as  possible,  received  a  ball  in  his  left  arm— upon  which  he  went  below  to  the  doctor, 
and  after  observing  that  he  thought  he  was  wounded,  the  plucky  child  fell  upon  the 
dead,  body  of  a  man  stretched  out  upon  the  floor,  and  fainted  awav  from  loss  of  blood. 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    "  THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE?'  77 

Clare  quietly  did  his  duty,  but  the  lash  had  taken  all  enthusiasm  out  of  him ;  towards 
the  end  of  the  action  he  was  hit  on  the  forehead,  but  he  merely  bound  his  neck-hand- 
kerchief round  the  wound,  and  kept  at  his  gun. 

The  Chinese  fired  all  sorts  of  missiles — bar,  chain,  and  round  shot — musket  balls, 
and  copper  cash — some  going  far  beyond  the  Stinger,  and  others  falling  a  long  way  short. 
Finding  there  was  little  chance  of  beating  off  the  man-of-war,  the  pirates  set  fire  to 
their  ships  and  abandoned  them.  Upon  seeing  this  Puffeigh  ordered  his  men  to  cease 
firing ;  and  having  cleared  the  decks  and  weighed  anchor,  the  Stingef  steamed  towards 
the  town,  passing,  as  she  did  so,  the  line  of  piratical  vessels,  many  of  which  were  burn- 
ing most  furiously. 

Old  Jemmy  was  standing  upon  the  carriage  of  his  gun,  looking  over  the  side,  and 
passing  comments  upon  the  junks  as  the  ship  steamed  slowly  passed  them,  when  a  gun 
on  board  one  of  them  was  discharged  by  the  heat,  and  the  ball  striking  the  old  man, 
stretched  him  senseless  upon  the  deck.  Several  men  sprang  forward  to  assist  him,  and 
he  was  carried  below  and  handed  over  to  the  surgeon. 

The  Stingers  counted  thirty -five  craft  in  all ;  and  as  these  were  moored  in  a  line  so 
as  to  mask  the  town,  they  were  not  aware,  until  they  rounded  the  last  junk,  of  the  little 
amusement  which  was  going  on  between  the  townspeople  and  the  pirates  who  had  taken 
to  the  water.  It  seems  that  the  former,  finding  matters  were  going  against  the  free- 
booters, had  turned  out  en  masse,  and  prevented  their  landing,  and  when  the  man-of- 
war  hove  in  sight,  round  the  stern  of  the  last  lorcha,  they  were  engaged  in  the  lively 
business  of  knocking  the  pirates  over  the  heads  with  bamboos,  clubs,  or  stones.  Upon 
seeing  their  British  allies,  they  boldly  put  off  in  their  sampans,  and  slaughtered  their 
former  tyrants  most  perseveringly. 

"  "Where's  the  pilot  ?     Where's  Hoo-kee  ?  "  demanded  Puffeigh. 

After  a  search,  the  too-brave  Chinaman  was  found,  and  being  interrogated  by  the 
skipper,  sagefy  informed  him  that,  "  Peecee  man  lib  ]jere  catchee  pilong  and  gib  he 
fum-fum,"  this  information  being  a  not  very  lucid  explanation  of  the  state  of  affairs 
going  on  alongside  the  ship,  which  any  child  could  understand,  without  its  being  thus 
oracularly  described  by  the  Chinaman. 

Taking  the  advice  of  his  officers,  Puffeigh  left  the  pirates  to  be  dealt  with  by  the 
townspeople,  and  the  Stingers  were  piped  to  breakfast.  All  were  quite  ready  for  the 
food  which  they  brought  on  deck  and  devoured  as  they  viewed  the  slaughter  of  the 
pirates,  the  same  being  a  novel  zest  for  their  meal. 

Puffeigh  took  this  opportunity  to  reconnoitre  the  bay,  and  found  it  was  surrounded 
by  high  hilkj  with  its  entrance  masked  by  rocks,  which  rendered  it  a  most  desirable 
resort  for  pirates,  as  without  previous  intimation  any  ship  might  pass  up  and  down  the 
coast  a  hundred  times  and  not  suspect  the  existence  of  an  inlet  in  that  place.  He  now 
perceived  the  burnt  hull  of  an  English  merchant-ship  lying  near  the  town  ;  and  as  he 
had  been  sent  to  avenge  the  outrage  of  this  very  seizure,  he  determined,  when  has  men 
were  refreshed,  to  land  and  endeavour  to  ascertain  the  fate  of  the  crew  of  the  burnt 
vessel. 

"  Boat  alongside,  sir,"  sang  out  the  sentry  on  the  bridge. 

"  What  is  she  ?  " 

"  Chinese,  sir." 

"  Send  Hoo-kee  here." 

Upon  this  the  pilot  walked  to  the  gangway  and  saluted  the  Celestials,  who  climbed 
over  the  side,  speaking  of  course  in  his  own  vernacular. 

"  Hi !  you  dogs.  I'm  pilot  here.  If  you  don't  cumshaw  me  (i.  e.  fee  me),  I'll  get 
these  red-haired  devils  to  burn  your  town  about  your  ears." 


78  BLUE  JACKETS;  OB,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

"  Most  illustrious  sir  !  "  exclaimed  the  foremost  moon-face,  "  we  are  very  poor,  but " 
(puffing  through  want  of  breath)  "  we  will  pay  you  two  hundred  dollars  to  assist  us,  if 
you'll  come  on  shore  and  fetch  it." 

"  What  does  the  fellow  say  ?  "  demanded  Puffeigh. 

"  He  say,  some  peecee  pilong  come  catchee  he  long  tim,  and  he  no  savee  how  many 
peecee  Eingleesh  man  him  kill." 

"  Bring  them  aft,  here." 

The  self-appointed  deputation  of  towns-folks  walked  aft,  and  falling  upon  their 
knees,  kow-tow'd  (i.  e.  knocked  their  foreheads  upon  the  deck),  and  then  awaited  the 
great  Fanqui's  pleasure. 

"  Tell  them  to  get  up." 

"  Get  up,  you  fools  ;  this  old  rice-bag  doesn't  know  what  kow-tow  is." 

"  We'd  rather  not,  my  lord.  Tell  the  great  man  we  can't  lie  easily  when  we  look  at 
his  terrible  hairy  face." 

"  What  do  they  say,  Hoo-kee  ?  " 

"  Why,  him  say  you  too  rauchee  lansome,  and  he  fraid  speekee  you  spose  him  lookee 
you  in  him  face.'' 

"  Hum ! "  The  flattery  tickled  the  vain  old  fellow,  who  thereupon  allowed  the 
deputation  to  remain  upon  their  knees,  and  by  the  assistance  of  the  pilot  learnt,  that 
Seh-wang  left  one  night,  and  that  on  the  following  morning  they  saw  a  foreign-built 
vessel  anchored  in  the  bay.  Some  of  the  pirates  who  landed  to  visit  their  wives  told 
them  that  they  had  killed  all  the  Fanquis  but  one  woman,  whom  they  had  landed  and 
removed  from  the  town  to  a  joss-house,  which  they  pointed  out  upon  one  of  the 
neighbouring  hills,  where  it  was  presumed  she  would  now  be  found. 

Upon  hearing  this,  it  was  determined  to  land  the  sailors  and  marines,  and  march 
to  the  joss-house,  which  the  towns-people  stated  was  about  seventy  le  (ten  miles)  from 
the  town.  9 

"  Mr.  Shever,  pipe  man  and  arm  boats." 

In  a  few  moments  the  ship's  boats  were  in  the  water  and  the  crews  in  their  places, 
the  pinnace  with  its  brass  howitzer,  and  first  and  second  cutters  with  their  rocket 
apparatus,  being,  on  account  of  their  armament,  the  last  boats  ready.  Much  to  his 
chagrin,  Mr.  Beauman,  was  left  behind  in  charge  of  the  ship,  the  whole  of  the  executive 
officers  being  detailed  for  shore  duty.  About  twelve  o'clock  Puffeigh  stepped  into  his 
gig,  and  the  flotilla  proceeded  towards  the  shore,  the  master  having  instructions  if  he 
saw  a  white  flag  flying  in  the  gig,  to  shell  the  town,  ten  men  and  boys  being  left  on 
board  to  carry  out  this  duty. 

Upon  reaching  the  shore  a  number  of  the  townsfolks  came  down,  and  welcomed  the 
party,  whereupon  Puffeigh  assumed  a  grand  air,  and  told  the  "  elders  "  that  they  need 
not  be  alarmed,  as  he  would  not  hurt  them,  this  being  translated  to  them  by  Hoo-kee, 
as  follows : — 

"You  crouching  dogs,  this  vermilion-faced  devil  says  if  you  don't  hand  over  the 
dollars  upon  our  return  from  the  joss-house,  he'll  blow  you  into  the  water." 

"  Tell  them  I  want  two  guides,  and  that  J  will  reward  them  if  they  are  faithful." 

"  Do  you  hear  ?  You  common  things !  The  vermilion-visaged  devil  says  he  wants 
two  guides,  who  are  to  go  with  us  at  once." 

Having  selected  a  couple  of  active  looking  volunteers,  the  party  commenced  their 
journey.  First  marched  the  sailors  under  command  of  Lieutenant  Wilton ;  these  men 
drew  the  brass  howitzer  and  its  limber-boxes,  it  being  fitted  for  use  as  a  field  piece. 
Next  came  a  sedan  containing  Puffeign,  borne  by  six  Chinese,  twelve  others  being 
secured  to  act  as  relays.  Bringing  up  the  rear  were  the  marines  under  control  of 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      79 

Crushe,  these  men  carrying  the  rocket  apparatus.  Jerry  Thompson  walked  by  the  side 
of  the  sedan,  having  charge  of  the  bearers,  and  acting  as  a  sort  of  aide-de-camp  to  the 
captain. 

The  fighting  party  marched  through  the  streets  to  the  tune  of  "  Old  Dan  Tucker," 
played  upon  a  violin,  by  one  of  the  blue-jackets ;  and  a  more  jolly  set  of  fellows  could 
not  be  imagined.  All  their  troubles  forgotten,  all  animosity  buried,  everything  absorbed 
in  one  idea — the  rescue  of  a  poor  girl  from  slavery. 

Leaving  the  shore  party  to  make  the  best  of  their  way  to  the  joss-house,  we  will 
return  to  the  Stinger. 

Master  Jordun,  who  had  been  attended  to  and  placed  in  a  cot,  finding  the  place 
pretty  quiet  after  the  departure  of  the  fighting  party,  got  up  and  cruised  round  the 
sick  bay.  He  had  made  a  critical  survey  of  nearly  all  its  occupants,  and  thought  it 
time  to  return  to  his  cot,  fearing  the  surgeon  would  come  back  and  give  him  a 
scolding,  when  his  attention  was  ,  suddenly  arrested  by  hearing  a  husky  voice  repeat 
his  name. 

"  Young  Bill !  I  say  !  Come  here." 

"  Who's  that  ere  a  flyin'  my  number  ?  " 

"  Me — yer  old  chum,  Jemmy,"  was  the  faint  response. 

"  Where  are  ye  ? "  demanded  the  boy,  who  could  not  see  any  resemblance  to  his 
friend  in  the  mummy-like  figure  from  which  the  sound  appeared  to  proceed. 

"  Here  I  am,  and  it's  all  up  with  me,  my  boy — I'm  going  fast.  Although  that 
infernal  savrbones  ses  I'm  all  right,  Jemmy  ain't  long  for  this  world." 

"  Humbug  !     You're  all  right.     Why,  I'm  wounded  and  a  walkin'  about." 

At  this  moment  the  surgeon  entered,  and  asked  the  boy  why  he  was  out  of  his  cot. 

"  Old  Jemmy  called  me,  sir." 

"  Is  that  the  doctor  !  "  quavered  the  old  sailor. 

"  What  do  you  want,  my  man  ?     You  must  keep  quiet." 

L  pon  this  the  old  fellow,  calling  the  surgeon  to  him,  desired  he  would  bear  witness 
that  he  left  "  his  clothes,  pay,  and  prize  money  to  that  ere  kid  Bill  Jordun." 

"  I'll  see  that  it  is  done;  but  if  you  remain  quiet,  you  will  recover." 

Old  Jemmy  kept  quite  still  until  the  surgeon  left  again,  upon  which  he  called  to 
the  boy  and  told  him  to  step  out  of  the  sick-bay,  and  go  to  his  ditty  box,  in  which  he 
would  find  a  bottle  of  grog,  and  to  bring  it  to  him  at  once,  never  mind  who  said  no. 

The  young  scamp,  desirous  of  pleasing  the  man  who  had  made  him  his  heir,  did 
as  he  was  directed  ;  and  having  secured  the  bottle,  took  it  to  his  friend,  who  begged 
him  to  put  it  to  his  lips — "  gentle,  my  boy."  The  lad  did  as  he  was  desired,  and  having 
held  it  there  until  he  thought  the  old  fellow  had  imbibed  his  share,  he  removed  it  and 
took  a  pull  at  it  himself. 

"  Give  us  another  nip,"  piteously  pleaded  the  mummy. 

"  It  ain't  good  for  you,  old  'un — you  knows  it  isn't,"  replied  the  boy ;  who,  how- 
ever, replaced  the  bottle  to  his  friend's  lips,  and  allowed  him  to  empty  its  contents. 

"  I'm  blowed !  if  he  ain't  a  sucked  it  dry  !  "  ejaculated  the  lad.  "  I  say,  Jemmy,  how 
do  you  feel  now  ?  " 

But  old  Jemmy  replied  not,  so  the  boy  covered  him  up  and  left  him. 

_About  five  hours  after  this  the  sick-bay  man,  thinking  the  old  man  was  very  quiet, 
proceeded  to  uncover  his  face,  and  found  he  was  dead  ;  upon  which  he  reported  to  the 
surgeon  that,  "  Old  Jemmy  were  dead,  and  that  he  smelt  werry  strong  of  rum."  Boy 
Jordun  became  delirious  during  the  night,  and  as  he  also  was  perfumed  in  the  same 
manner,  the  doctor  concluded  that  some  numskull  had  given  them  a  glass  of  grog,  and 
blamed  his  man  for  not  keeping  a  good  look-out. 


80  BLUE   JACKETS  J    OK,    THE   ADVENTURES    OF 

Some  time  after  when  the  boy  was  informed  of  the  death  of  his  friend,  he  snivelled, 
and  declared  "  he  was  werry  sorry,  as  the  old  bloke  was  allus  a  thundering  good  old 
kove  to  him." 

Finding  everything  was  pretty  quiet,  the  master  boarded  all  the  junks  which  were 
not  much  injured  by  fire,  and  hoisted  the  British  flag  upon  them  as  prizes.  By  the 
time  this  was  done  it  became  necessary  to  return  to  the  ship ;  and  having  set  the  watch, 
and  made  the  rounds,  Mr.  Beauman  retired  to  rest,  thoroughly  done  up.  Nothing 
occurred  to  render  it  imperative  that  he  should  be  called  during  the  night,  and  the 
Stingers  not  on  duty  slumbered  in  their  hammocks  ;  while  those  who  were  compelled 
to  remain  upon  deck  kept  their  eyes  open,  and  thought  how  calm  and  peaceful  the  bay 
appeared,  with  the  stars  shining  down  upon  the  water,  beneath  which  were  sunk 
eleven  hundred  pirates,  who  twenty-four  hours  before  had  been  alive,  and  quite  uncon- 
scious of  their  approaching  fate.  A  few  of  the  more  superstitious  among  the  watchers 
declared  that  every  now  and  then  some  of  the  murdered  men  would  rise  to  the  surface, 
groan  and  sink  again.  Probably  it  was  the  noise  of  fish  they  heard,  but  to  the  day  of 
their  deaths  they  believed  that  "  Bloody  Bay  "  (as  they  termed  it)  swarmed  with  spirits 
that  night.  One  man  was  so  affected  by  his  fears,  that  he  left  his  post,  and  going  below  was 
led  into  the  ward-room,  where  he  came  across  a  bottle  of  brandy,  a  portion  of  which  he 
found  himself  compelled  to  swallow.  No  doubt  he  was  under  the  baneful  iufluence  of  the 
spooks  when  he  did  this,  as  when  he  was  found  helplessly  reclining  upon  the  fore  hatch- 
way, he  gravely  declared  that  it  was  seeing  so  many  ghosts  that  took  away  his  senses. 
As  the  man  had  been  twice  flogged,  the  humane  master  forgave  him,  and  determined 
not  to  report  the  circumstance  to  the  captain,  when  the  latter  returned ;  which  act  of 
clemency  so  touched  the  delinquent,  that  he  made  a  vow  not  to  take  another  drop  of 
grog  during  the  time  he  belonged  to  the  ship.  And  to  his  honour  be  it  said,  he  faith- 
fully kept  his  word. 

More  than  twenty-four  hours  had  passed,  and  he  had%  seen  no  sign  of  the  landing- 
party.  Beauman  got  the  ship  in  order,  repaired  the  rigging,  and  obtained  some  fruit 
and  vegetables  from  the  shore,  but  when  the  sun  went  down  the  second  night  the  master 
was  still  left  in  suspense,  and,  to  tell  the  truth,  became  quite  uneasy,  never  leaving  the 
deck  a  moment  during  the  night.  When  morning  broke  a  sampan  caine  off  with  a 
message  from  the  head  man  of  the  town,  from  which  Beauman,  who  could  speak  a 
little  Chinese,  made  out  that  the  Stingers  had  found  the  pirates  at  home,  but  had  been 
beaten  off  with  great  loss,  and  were  fleeing  towards  the  mountains. 

He  knew  that  the  landing  party  was  but  small,  and  if  they  had  fallen  into  an 
ambuscade  all  of  them  might  be  murdered;  but  knowing  how  unblushingly  the 
Chinese  can  pervert  the  truth,  he  made  up  his  mind  to  await  further  developments. 
Sending  the  messenger  back  with  a  polite  intimation,  that  if  the  expedition  did  not 
return  within  eight-and-forty  hours  he  would  fire  upon  the  town,  he  devoted  his 
energies  to  instructing  the  boys  how  to  act  in  case  the  party  were  lost,  and  in  training 
hi*  guns  upon  prominent  buildings,  the  ship  being  moored  broadside  on  to  the  place. 
During  the  day  they  buried  the  dead,  and  eight  bodies  were  conveyed  to  a  small  island 
near  the  entrance  of  the  bay,  and  decently  interred. 

When  night  set  in  Beauman  became  restless,  and  began  to  think  there  was  some  truth 
in  the  story  brought  off  from  the  shore.  "  Sixty  hours  away  from  the  ship,  and  no 
•ign  of  them  yet.  Poor  fellows !  they  have  been  captured  and  put  to  death." 


J.   THOMPSON,   A.    B.,    AMONG    "THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE."  81 


CHAPTER  XH. 

WE  will  now  return  'to  Puffeigh  and  his  party,  whom  we  left  upon  the  march 
towards  the  joss-house. 

Along  canal  banks,  over  paddy  fields,  across  bridges,  by  villages,  whose  inhabitants 
would  run  out,  hoot  and  spit  at  the  foreign  devils,  and  vapour  about  what  they  would 
do  were  they  only  able ;  past  private  residences  surrounded  by  every  accessory  known  to 
a  luxurious  people  ;  skirting  walled  towns  and  small  cities,  they  wended  their  way  with- 
out stop  or  rest.  Now  and  then  their  course  lay  through  orchards,  or  fields  skirted 
with  lychee  trees,  but  no  one  was  allowed  to  break  off  a  branch,  although  the  com- 
mander knew  that  a  few  bunches  of  the  fruit  would  have  been  a  boon  to  his  men. 
The  sedan  bearers  trotted  on  with  Puffeigh ;  and  as  the  latter  considered  that  his  men 
ought  to  walk  as  well  as  the  Chinese  did,  it  never  once  entered  his  mind  to  order  a  halt 
until  night  surprised  them  as  they  were  entering  a  village. 

"  What  is  this  place  called  ?"  demanded  the  skipper. 

"  Hong-soo." 

"  March  to  the  joss-house  ! " 

"  Pilot  says  he  don't  think  they  rate  one,  sir,"  observed  Jerry.  "  It's  a  werry  one- 
horse  sort  of  a  place." 

However,  in  a  short  time  they  unearthed  the  "  elders  "  of  the  village,  who,  after 
striking  a  smart  bargain  with  Hoo-kee,  proceeded  to-show  the  way  to  the  joss-house, 
which  was  found  upon  examination  to  be  clean  and  tolerably  large.  Having  opened 
the  massive  outer  doors,  the  "  elders  "  pointed  out  a  number  of  sheds  built  against  the 
wall  of  the  court-yard.  These  they  offered  for  the  accommodation  of  the  men,  who 
were  soon  in  possession,  and  had  their  supper  under  weigh  in  quick  time.  After 
directing  the  howitzer  to  be  placed  in  position  with  its  muzzle  pointing  towards  the 
entrance,  and  the  guard  being  set,  Puffeigh  followed  the  obsequious  "  elders  "  into  the 
joss-house,  and  as  there  were  no  side  chapels,  he  was  obliged  to  take  up  his  abode  before 
the  idol.  The  villagers  furnished  the  party  with  any  quantity  of  candles,  and  in  a 
short  space  of  time  the  temple  was  thoroughly  illuminated,  and  presented  a  very 
animated  appearance.  The  "  elders "  now  withdrew,  promising  to  return  with  some 
chow-chow,  which  they  informed  Puffeigh  was  being  prepared  for  his  supper.  The 
great  doors  of  the  joss-house  were  thrown  back,  and  the  captain  and  officers  looked  out 
upon  the  court-yard,  and  watched  the  men  as  the  latter  prepared  their  meal. 

A  number  of  the  women  of  the  village  had  established  a  market  in  the  centre  of  the 
enclosure,  and  were  driving  quite  a  trade  in  fried  eggs,  sweet  potatoes  and  little  pork 
pies,  while  here  and  there  were  men  carrying  huge  buckets  containing  boiled  rice, 
which  they  sold  to  the  sailors  for  anything  they  could  get,  taking  money  or  goods 
according  to  circumstances.  Thompson  was  in  attendance  upon  the  officers ;  and 
having  found  a  jar  of  water,  which  he  tested  by  forcing  one  of  the  bearers  to  swallow 
a  quart,  he  proceeded  to  serve  the  bran  dy  pawnee. 

"That's  a  luxury,"  observed  Cruphe.  "Thompson,  you  are  one  of  the  few  men  of 
the  fleet  who  is  not  a  fool ;  upon  my  word,  you're  not." 

6 


82  BLUE  JACKETS;  OR,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

"  Nobody  but  you  ever  thought  I  were,  sir,"  retorted  the  coxswain,  and  with  this 
observation  Jerry  retired  behind  the  idol,  and  took  a  quiet  drink. 

At  this  moment  a  gong  was  heard,  and  in  marched  the  "  elders,"  heading  a  procession 
of  food-bearers.  Having  deposited  their  burdens,  the  coolies  withdrew,  upon  which 
the  "  elders  "  spread  the  feast  out  upon  the  floor  of  the  temple,  and  invited  the  officers 
to  partake  of  the  repast. 

Puffeigh  felt  very  bewildered  at  this  unlooked-for  hospitality,  but  the  fact  was, 
upon  their  entering  the  place,  Hoo-kee  had  struck  a  bargain  with  the  "  elders,"  that, 
upon  consideration  of  his  being  paid  fifty  dollars  and  free  chow-chow  for  the  officers; 
he  would  prevent  the  Fanquis  from  sacking  and  destroying  their  village.  Hence  all 
this  civility ;  the  "  elders  "  being  delighted  to  find  their  visitors  did  not  wish  to  cook 
and  eat  any  of  their  infants,  that  being,  according  to  their  traditions,  the  usual  food 
of  the  "  red-haired,  foreign,  out-side  barbarians." 

Puffeigh  looked  at  the  food,  and  then  asked  Hoo-kee  if  it  were  all  right  ? 

"Belle  good  peece  chow-chow,  nomba  one,  fust  chop,"  replied  the  pilot,  who  seized 
a  bowl  of  rice,  and  a  pair  of  chop-sticks,  and  proceeded  to  illustrate  the  truth  of  his 
assertion. 

Thompson  hovered  round  the  officers,  and  gave  his  opinion  of  the  dishes,  recom- 
mending some,  and  warning  them  against  others,  as  his  fancy  suggested. 

"That  looks  terribly  like  a  boiled  dog,"  he  remarked  to  Crushe,  who  was  turning 
over  a  stewed  fowl.  "  It's  either  that  or  a  cat ;  don't  you  eat  none  of  that  ere,  sir." 

The  lieutenant  left  that  dish ;  and  seizing  another  near  it,  boldly  commenced  to 
eat,  shutting  his  eyes  to  any  peculiarity  of  aspect  or  taste  which  he  met  with  during 
his  meal.  Puffeigh  enjoyed  his  greatly,  but  was  very  much  disconcerted  by  Jerry's 
remark  as  he  cleared  away  the  last  bowl. 

"  Did  you  like  the  last  raghot,  sir  ?" 

"  Well,  it  wasn't  bad  ;  but  why  do  you  ask  ?" 

"  Oh  !  it's  nothing,  sir  ,  only  a  fancy  o'  mine." 

"  "What ! — wa — what  was  it  ?"  he  fiercely  demanded. 

"  Oh,  a  mere  trifle,  sir ;  only  a  hinf ant's  ears  left  in  the  dish,  that's  all,  sir ;  they're 
fond  o'  ears,  I  believe." 

"  Where's  the  dish  ?  give  it  here,  you  fellow !" 

Thompson  brought  forward  the  bowl  and  exhibited  two  substances  which  certainly 
resembled  infants'  ears,  but  were  in  reality  those  of  a  young  deer,  the  head  of  which 
had  been  served  up  with  a  delicious  white  sauce.  Puffeigh,  however,  did  not  know 
this ;  and  although  he  pooh  pooh'd  the  affair,  and  told  Jerry  that  he  was  a  thick- 
headed fool  for  his  pains,  was  nevertheless  internally  uncomfortable,  so  that  a  meal 
perfect  in  quality  and  cookery  gave  him  anything  but  pleasant  sensations. 

When  the  officers  had  finished  their  repast,  Thompson  retreated  to  the  back  of  the 
idol,  where  he  feasted  with  the  pilot.  Everything  might  have  been  compounded  of 
dog  or  cat,  for  all  he  cared,  as  upon  completing  his  meal  he  observed  to  his  companion, 
"  Well,  Hookey,  this  is  the  first  blow  out  as  I've  had  o'  your  grub  ;  and,  taking  it  as  a 
whole,  it's  werry  good,  but  werry  rum-looking  sort  of  stuffin  ;"  then  fijling  a  glass  with 
brandy,  the  coxswain  winked  at  the  Celestial,  and  observing,  "  Here's  teowards  you, 
Walker,"  he  drank,  after  which,  stretching  himself  upon  the  floor,  he  dropped  off  into 
a  profound  slumber. 

Hoo-kee  walked  out  of  the  temple,  and  paid  a  visit  to  the  "  elders,"  who  proposed  a 
friendly  game  of  cards ;  and  the  festive  youths  drank  samshoo  and  gambled  until  the 
morning  broke.  Hoo-kee  had  met  his  match  ;  and  upon  counting  up  his  losses  found, 
not  only  that  he  had  lost  the  fifty  dollars  he  had  squeezed  out  of  the  head  men  over 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."       S3 

night,  but  had  been  relieved  of  a  large  sum  besides ;  but  he  left  the  party  fully 
impressed  with  the  idea  that,  had  he  been  allowed  to  play  one  more  game,  his  luck 
would  have  turned. 

When  he  reached  the  joss-house  he  found  the  commander  ready  to  start ;  and, 
with  fiddle  going,  the  Stingers  filed  out  of  the  court-yard  on  their  way  towards 
the  pirates'  head-quarters.  The  townspeople  had  either  told  an  untruth,  or  had 
not  known  the  distance,  for  the  party  must  have  marched  thirty  miles  before  they 
sighted  the  place  to  which  they  were  bound,  although  it  was  plainly  visible  from 
the  deck  of  the  Stinger.  They  had  been  marching  up-hill,  and  probably  the  road 
was  circuitous,  so  it  was  fully  noon  when,  upon  their  turning  a  bend,  the  building 
suddenly  burst  upon  view.  The  vanguard  halted  until  Puffeigh  came  up.  Seeing 
the  place  Avaa  to  all  appearance  deserted,  he  directed  Crushe  to  take  a  party  and 
reconnoitre,  while  he  ordered  the  rest  of  the  men  to  halt,  and  stand  at  ease. 

The  lieutenant  advanced  cautiously,  thinking  the  pirates  were  trying  to  draw 
them  into  an  ambuscade ;  but  after  carefully  surveying  the  outer  fortification, 
which  he  found  completely  abandoned,  entered  the  gateway.  Before  him  was  a 
wooden  edifice,  probably  a  joss-house,  as  described  by  the  townspeople,  and  in 
front  of  it  several  cheerful-looking  wooden  gods,  or  demons,  who  served  as  a  sort 
of  scare-crow  guard  to  the  temple.  There  was  no  litter  or  signs  of  men  having 
been  there  for  some  time,  but  on  entering,  Crushe  noticed  some  exploded  crackers 
upon  the  floor,  and  a  smell  of  recently  burnt  joss-stick  lingered  suspiciously  about 
the  place. 

Having  examined  the  altar,  torn  down  the  dress  of  the  idol,  and  kicked  over  the 
vases  used  in  worshipping,  Crushe  walked  out  of  the  temple,  and  proceeded  to  examine 
the  outbuildings,  which  were  lean-to  sheds  built  against  the  circular  wall  surrounding 
the  place.  Judge  his  astonishment  upon  seeing  these  places  filled  with  Tartar  ponies, 
about  six  of  those  animals  being  stalled  in  each  compartment.  But  where  were  the 
men  ? 

After  an  unsuccessful  search,  Crushe  had  to  give  it  up  ;  and  leading  out  one  of  the 
most  likely-looking  ponies,  returned  to  the  commander.  Puffeigh  examined  the  beast 
— looked  sagely  at  his  teeth  and  patted  it — then  observed  that  it  was  no  use  for  any  one 
to  cause  a  delay,  and  gave  the  order  to  advance  and  take  possession  of  the  place,  upon 
which  the  party  got  in  motion  ;  and  having  entered  the  enclosure,  a  boat's  ensign  was 
hoisted  on  the  wall,  and  the  officers  and  men  camped  within  its  shelter,  until  Puffeigh 
should  determine  what  to  do  next. 

The  interior  of  the  joss-house  was  exceedingly  dark ;  and  as  the  outer  court  was 
cool  and  well  shaded  with  trees,  the  captain  decided  not  to  take  up  his  quarters  in  the 
temple.  Sentries  were  set,  and  the  men  lounged  about  the  place,  and  amused  them- 
selves in  the  best  manner  they  could.  About  four  o'clock  Puffeigh  determined  to  hold 
a  consultation  ;  and,  in  order  that  it  might  be  private,  withdrew  into  the  joss-house, 
taking  with  him  all  his  officers,  and  his  coxswain,  who  carried  the  liquor  case.  Having 
squatted  himself  upon  the  floor,  the  latter  proceeded  to  unpack  the  brandy,  when  his 
attention  was  suddenly  arrested  by  a  slight  noise  in  the  roof,  and  at  that  moment  a 
man  fell  headlong  from  aloft,  and  dropped  on  Cravan,  whom  he  stretched  senseless 
upon  the  floor.  In  an  instant  a  shower  of  spears  and  shot  came  hurtling  down  from 
aloft,  and  the  terrified  officers  bolted  to  the  door  ;  Jerry,  who  had  collared  the  China- 
man, dragging  his  prisoner  out,  Cravan  being  rescued  by  Lieutenant  "Wilton.  The 
sailors  and  marines  were  soon  on  the  alert,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  Puffeigh 
prevented  them  entering  the  joss-house  to  avenge  the  assault.  With  the  assistance  of 
Hoo-kee,  the  commander  learnt  that,  finding  their  retreat  cut  off,  the  pirates  had  taken 


8tt  BLUE    JACKETS  }    OK,    THE    ADVE-N'TUKES    UE 

to  the  roof,  and  over  two  hundred  of  them  -were  now  clustered  there,  the  prisoner  who 
gave  this  information  informing  the  pilot  that  he  had  been  crowded  off  his  rafter  by  the 
pressure  of  his  companions. 

Having  given  orders  to  remove  the  ponies  a  safe  distance  down  the  road,  Puffeigh 
offered  the  prisoner  his  life  upon  condition  that  he  would  lead  him  to  the  place  where 
the  English  lady  was  confined.  The  man,  who  declared  he  had  been  compelled  to  join 
the  outlaws  by  force,  joyfully  agreed  to  do  this,  and  informed  them  that  the  pirates 
clustered  on  the  roof  pf  the  temple  were  the  men  who  had  murdered  the  officers  and 
crew  of  tho  burnt  ship.  Upon  hearing  this,  Puffeigh  directed  the  pilot  to  order  them 
to  surrender,  but  they  replied  by  throwing  a  spear  at  the  man,  which  narrowly  missed 
his  head.  Finding  it  was  useless  to  parley  with  them,  the  captain  ordered  the  men  to 
collect  all  the  straw  and  bamboo  cane  they  could  find,  and  pile  it  up  in  front  of  the 
temple  doors.  Having  made  a  great  heap,  'he  instructed  them  to  set  it  on  fire,  when 
up  rose  a  thin  cloud  of  smoke,  and  a  flame  flickered  for  a  moment,  then  burst  into  a 
blaze,  the  smoke  and  flume  presently  roaring  into  the  open  door,  as  if  it  had  been  the 
mouth  of  a  chimney.  The  pirates  set  up  a  yell  of  defiance,  and  .swarmed  upon  the 
roof,  from  which  the  marines  picked  them  off  with  their  rifles  ;  and  within  half  an 
hour  of  the  match  being  applied >  in  place  of  the  joss-house  with  its  rafters  swarming 
with  human  beings,  only  a  few  smouldering  embers  remained  inside  the  circular  walls. 
Having  literally  smoked  out  the  vermin,  Puffeigh  ordered  his  men  to  mount  the 
ponies  ;  and  piloted  by  the  prisoner,  who  was  bound  and  placed  between  two  marines, 
the  party  made  the  best  of  their  way  to  the  pirates'  cave. 

When  night  fell  they  camped  down,  and  the  sailors  moored  the  ponies  to  their 
bodies,  i.  e.  fastened  the  halters  round  their  waists  while  they  slept;  and  the  men 
would  sometimes  wake  with  the  disagreeable  sensation  of  finding  their  steed  endeavour- 
ing to  nibble  off  their  whiskers  or  hair.  With  the  morning's  dawn  the  party  got  once 
more  in  motion,  and,  in  spite  of  the  night's  drawbacks,  they  seemed  a  thoroughly  jolly 
set  of  fellows.  Thompson  rode  his  animal  in  a  variety  of  ways,  much  to  the 
astonishment  of  all  present ;  and  his  eccentricities  kept  the  whole  party  in  a  roar  of 
laughter. 

About  2  P.M.  they  entered  a  pass,  in  which,  they  were  informed,  they  would  find 
the  cave  containing  the  lady.  The  defile  was  weird  and  gloomy ;  and  had  the  pirates 
been  in  possession,  they  could  have  defended  it  against  an  army  of  soldiers.  The  men 
rode  in  twos,  and  not  a  word  was  spoken.  After  proceeding  about  three-quarters  of  a 
mile,  the  vanguard  halted,  and  Puffeigh  was  shown  a  hole  in  the  side  of  the  ravine, 
which  the  prisoner  declared  was  the  cave.  Upon  this  the  party  dismounted,  and 
leaving  their  horses  in  charge  of  a  picket,  advanced  to'  the  cave,  climbing  a  steep  road 
to  do  so,  the  difficulties  of  which  increased  at  every  step. 

The  cave  proved  to  be  a  deep  one,  and  scattered  about  its  entrance  were  all  manner 
of  articles,  plundered  from  the  burnt  ship,  the  most  prominent  being  a  piano — how 
they  managed  to  hoist  it  up  there  was  a  puzzle  to  the  invaders.  Thompson  procured  a 
torch,  and  when  the  captain  directed  his  officers  to  make  a  thorough  search  for  the 
captive  girl,  Jerry,  who  was  always  first,  hunted  out  every  hole  and  corner.  As  he 
advanced  he  suddenly  heard  a  woman's  voice,  so  he  called  out,  "  Cheer  up,  miss  !  we're 
here !  You're  saved ! " 

With  a  scream  of  joy,  a  young  girl  dressed  in  Chinese  costume  tore  away  a  heavy 
curtain  which  was   suspended  from  the  roof  of  the  cave,  and  rushing  into  his  arms, 
fainted  ;  upon  which  Jerry  followed  the  first  impulse  of  his  heart,  and  kissed  her. 
"  Here  !  she  !  is  !     Hoorah ! ! ! " 
In  a  few  moments  the  officers  were  by  his  side,  and  carrying  out  the  inanimate 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    "THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE."  85 

form,  placed  it  upon  the  ground  near  the  entrance  of  the  cave.  Thompson  did  his  best 
to  bring  her  to,  and  behaved  in  such  a  "frantically  delighted  manner,  that  the  men 
thought  lie  had  gone  out  of  his  mind. 

"  Pretty  creature,  ehe's  a  coming  to  ;  Lord  love  your  face,  how  sad  you  does  look  ! '' 
cried  the  excited  sailor. 

After  a  time  the  poor  girl  managed  to  realize  she  was  rescued,  and  to  thank  her 
deliverers ;  she  told  them  that  the  pirates  had  not  offered  her  any  insult,  and  their 
•women  had  treated  her  very  kindly  ;  but  at  the  mention  of  the  ship  from  which  she  was 
taken,  she  became  so  much  affected,  that  they  forbore  to  question  her. 

Having  secured  the  young  lady,  the  Stingers  retraced  their  steps,  and  when  night 
came  on  they  camped.  The  poor  girl  would  not  take  rest,  but  sat  by  Thompson,  who 
she  persisted  in  declaring  was  her  deliverer.  Jerry  was  exceedingly  kind  and 
attentive  ;  in  fact,  he  watched  her  as  a  brother  would  a  sister.  The  situation  was 
most  romantic :  the  lady  had  been  in  great  distress,  and  he  the  first  to  find  her.  "  I'd 
rather  ha'  done  this  than  have  a  hundred  pounds  given  me,"  he  said  to  Lieutenant 
Wilton,  and  undoubtedly  he  spoke  the  truth. 

At  daylight  the  party  remounted,  the  lady  being  accommodated  with  the  coxswain's 
steed,  he  having  found  a  sumpter-horse  laden  with  the  captain's  plunder,  upon  the  top 
of  which  he  perched  himself,  so  as  to  keep  the  young  girl  in  view.  The  fiddler  headed 
the  procession,  and  lightened  the  march  by  playing  patriotic  airs.  The  men  felt  free 
and  happy,  chatting  and  laughing  like  schoolboys.  However,  they  did  not  remain  long 
in  that  blissful  state,  for  on  nearing  a  village  Crushe  (who  had  allowed  them  to  enjoy 
themselves  only  on  account  of  the  captain's  not  expressing  a  wish  otherwise),  upon 
Puffeigh  observing  they  were  too  noisy,  at  once  brought  them  to  a  sense  of  their 
position  by  ordering  them  to  "  stop  their  row,  unless  they  wanted  to  taste  the  cat."  A 
number  of  the  vanguard  were  smoking  ;  and  when  the  lieutenant  bawled  out  his  order, 
those  of  the  men  who  had  not  before  indulged  in  the  weed,  then  lit  their  pipes.  Observ- 
ing this,  Crushe  rode  forward  and  commanded  them  to  stop  smoking.  One  of  the 
marines,  who  had  displayed  great  bravery  during  the  attack  on  the  pirates,  upon 
hearing  this  order,  threw  his  pipe  away,  certainly  without  intending  any  disrespect  to 
his  officer;  seeing  which  the  bully  swore  at  him,  heedless  whether  the  words  were  heard 
by  the  young  lady  or  not ;  and  after  abusing  the  soldier  for  some  moments,  ordered 
him  to  the  rear,  and  placed  him  under  arrest.  The  man  laughed  in  his  face,  and  told 
him  that  as  he  was  sure  of  a  flogging  anyhow,  he  preferred  staying  where  he  was.  Crushe 
vented  his  rage  in  a  further  flow  of  abuse,  but  determined  to  let  the  matter  drop 
until  they  arrived  on  board  the  ship,  besides  not  caring  to  say  more  before  the  super- 
numeraries. 

Towards  dusk  they  sighted  another  village,  and  upon  nearing  it  found  the  "braves" 
drawn  up  to  oppose  them,  who  soon  made  known  their  intentions  by  discharging  a 
shower  of  gingall-balls  which  rattled  over  the  Stingers'  heads,  but  did  not  hurt  any  of 
them.  Upon  this  Puffeigh  threw  this  party  into  disorder  in  his  endeavour  to  bring 
forward  the  marines  and  pass  the  young  lady  to  the  rear ;  giving  his  orders  in  such  a 
confused  manner,  that  in  a  few  moments  there  was  a  general  stampede,  and  it  was  with 
great  difficulty  the  officers  succeeded  in  recalling  the  marines,  who  were  racing  away 
towards  the  pirates'  cave,  having  lost  all  control  over  their  ponies.  However,  at  length 
they  were  overtaken  and  brought  back,  meanwhile  the  "  braves  "  had  remained  quite 
quiet,  evidently  thinking  they  had  driven  their  invaders  away. 

The  howitzer  was  placed  in  position ;  and  having  sent  the  horses  to  the  rear, 
Puffeigh  directed  the  gunners  to  shell  the  village.  Bang  went  the  piece,  and  the  shell 
twinkled  in  the  air  like  a  star,  and  then  burst  over  the  place.  Upon  this  a  perfect  hail 


86  BLUE  JACKETS;  OR,  THE  ADVENTUKES  OF 

of  gingall-balls  was  discharged  by  the  "  braves,"  who  then  threw  down  their  weapons 
and  fled  inside  the  walls.  Crushe  fell  wounded  in  the  back,  and  three  of  the  men  were 
discovered  to  be  hit,  but  their  injuries  were  all  in  the  front  part  of  their  bodies. 

Finding  that  the  villagers  had  retreated,  the  commander,  deeming  it  imprudent  to 
follow  them  or  to  attempt  reprisal,  gave  the  order  to  remount,  and  proceeded  on  his 
way.  Crushe  was  soon  able  to  sit  upright,  but  declared  he  was  in  great  pain,  while 
the  wounded  men,  being  but  slightly  injured,  had  to  get  along  the  best  way  they 
could. 

About  9  o'clock  P.M.  they  entered  the  town  of  Ping-chao-ting,  off  which  the  Stinger 
was  moored,  and  soon  after  that  Mr.  Beauman  welcomed  them  on  board,  as  though  they 
had  escaped  from  slavery. 

The  captain's  cabin  was  allotted  to  the  young  lady,  who  upon  entering  it  fell  upon 
her  knees,  and  fervently  thanked  God  for  her  wonderful  deliverance  from  captivity. 
During  the  evening  she  informed  Puffeigh  that  after  the  pirates  had  murdered  all  the 
people  belonging  to  the  ship  but  herself,  they  had  plundered  and  set  it  on  fire. 
Knowing  it  would  be  useless  to  search  further,  the  captain  determinded  to  embark 
the  horses  on  board  the  most  seaworthy  of  the  junks,  and  to  proceed  to  sea  the  next  day 
at  noon. 

At  daybreak  the  bay  presented  quite  an  animated  appearance,  the  horses  being 
taken  off  to  the  junks  by  the  townspeople,  who  appeared  very  desirous  of  doing  every- 
thing in  their  power  to  get  rid  of  the  "  Foreign  devils  "  as  soon  as  possible.  Hoo-kee 
obtained  his  dollars  and  left  the  Ping-chao-tingers  fully  impressed  with  the  importance 
of  his  influence  with  the  Fanquis ;  and  prize  crews  being  put  on  board  the  junks,  the 
cables  of  the  latter  were  cut,  and  the  Stinger  having  taken  them  in  tow,  steamed  out 
of  the  bay  with  five  junks  and  two  lorchas  astern.  When  fairly  outside  these  were 
cast  adrift,  and,  setting  sail,  made  the  best  of  their  way  to  Hong-Kong,  the  man-of- 
war  keeping  steam  up,  and  occasionally  rendering  them  assistance  as  required. 

Upon  arrival  on  board,  Crushe  sought  the  assistant-surgeon,  who,  having  examined 
his  wound,  pronounced  it  to  be  a  bayonet  thrust  through  the  muscles  of  the  back — 
painful,  but  not  dangerous.  It  being  impossible  to  find  out  how  this  was  done,  the 
first  lieutenant  did  not  make  any  stir  in  the  matter,  but  determined  to  flog  the  "  infernal 
marine,"  who  had,  he  felt  sure,  made  an  attack  upon  him  during  the  confusion.  However, 
upon  sending  for  the  sergeant,  he  learnt  that  he  had  not  been  seen  since  they  arrived 
in  Ping-chao-ting.  The  man  remained  behind,  and  proved  so  useful  to  the  townspeople, 
that  they  appointed  him  superintendent  of  fortifications  ;  and  after  a  few  months  under 
his  fostering  care  became  the  most  celebrated  pirates  upon  the  seaboard,  and  nearly 
sunk  H.  M.  Brig  Booby,  which  was  sent  to  wipe  them  out.  The  marine  flourished  for 
about  two  years,  until  one  day,  undertaking  to  thrash  the  Taontai  for  some  fancied 
insult,  he  was  seized  and  thrown  into  prison,  where  he  lingered  and  died. 

The  young  lady  was  carried  on  shore  and  handed  over  to  the  gentle  care  of  the 
Sceurs  de  Charite\  Shortly  after  her  arrival  at  the  convent  she  was  taken  seriously 
ill,  and  for  some  weeks  her  life  was  despaired  of ;  however,  the  good  sisters  nursed  her 
BO  skilfully,  that  with  the  blessing  of  God  she  recovered,  and  lived  to  become  a  happy 
wife  and  mother. 

It  seems  she  had,  with  her  father,  been  a  passenger  in  the  ill-fated  ship,  and  we 
cannot  do  better  than  give  her  own  words  in  describing  the  tragedy. 

"  My  name  is  Ada  Moore.  The  ship  was  called  the  Lima,  bound  from  London  to 
Australia,  by  way  of  Hong-Kong.  My  dear  papa  owned  the  vessel,  and  he  intended 
to  establish  a  business  in  Adelaide,  Australia,  and  to  send  the  Lima  backwards  and 
forwards  for  tea.  Our  captain's  name  was  Froom,  he  was  a  distant  relation  of  ours. 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      87 

We  had  a  beautiful  passage  out,  and  every  one  was  in  good  spirits.  About  six  **  clock 
on  the  fatal  evening  we  made  the  land,  and  Captain  Froom  determined  to  anchor ;  he 
having  overrun  his  reckoning,  I  believe,  but  I  don't  know.  One  thing  I  am  certain  of, 
he  said  he  was  not  quite  sure  what  place  we  were  near.  I  was  in  the  cabin  with  my 
dear  papa — he  reclining  upon  the  settee  and  I  playing  the  evening  hymn,  when  I  heard 
a  scuffle  upon  deck  and  stopped  playing.  Upon  this  Mr.  Raynor,  our  boatswain, 
entered  the  cabin  all  bloody,  and  falling  down  at  my  father's  feet  groaned  and  died. 
My  dear  papa  called  out  to  the  captain  who  was  on  deck,  but  not  getting  a  reply,  he 
started  up  and  was  ascending  the  companion  when  a  Chinese  rushed  past  him, 
dealing  as  he  did  so,  a  blow  which  cut  his  face  and  made  him  bleed.  Then  he 
turned  on  poor  papa,  and  stabbed  and  chopped  him.  At  this  dreadful  sight  I 
fainted,  and  when  I  recovered  found  myself  tied  hand  and  foot  and  laid  across  the 
grating  abaft,  upon  the  poop.  I  saw  them  throw  something  overboard,  I  think  it 
was  a  body,  upon  which  I  again  fainted.  They  brought  me  to  by  throwing  water 
over  me ;  and  although  they  were  very  frightful  in  their  appearance,  they  did  not 
offer  to  molest  me  in  any  way.  I  found  they  were  towing  the  ship  into  harbour. 
Upon  our  arrival  off  the  town  they  took  me  on  shore,  and  I  was  placed  on  horse- 
back, and  conveyed  to  the  joss-house  which  has  since  been  destroyed  by  Captain 
Puffeigh.  They  kept  me  there  for  four  days,  and  Chinese  clothes  were  given  me, 
with  orders  to  take  off  my  own.  This  I  had  to  do ;  and  although  I  begged  them 
to  allow  me  to  keep  my  clothes,  they  would  not  permit  me  to  do  so.  I  was 
removed  to  the  cave,  and  an  old  woman  placed  in  charge  of  me.  From  her  I 
understood  I  was  to  wait  until  Seh-wang  returned,  and  I  dreaded  the  name  which 
seemed  full  of  terrible  import.  None  of  the  pirates  were  living  in  the  cave,  but  they 
constantly  arrived  with  plunder  from  the  Lima.  I  saw  my  piano  brought  up 
among  other  things.  I  was  praying  •  for  death,  when  I  heard  the  joyful  words, 
'  Cheer  up,  miss ! '  and  I  rushed  out  from  behind  the  curtain,  and  beheld  Mr. 
Thompson,  the  sailor,  who,  with  the  others,  I  shall  pray  for  until  the  day  of  my 
death.  I  remember  the  journey  down — how  they  fought  for  me,  and  I  cannot 
express  my  appreciation  of  the  gentle  attentions  shown  me  by  Mr.  Thompson,  who 
was  most  thoughtful  for  me,  and  who  never  ceased  his  guard  over  me,  until  I  was 
safe  on  board  the  Stinger." 

The  captured  ponies  were  sold  in  Hong-Kong,  and  the  amount  they  brought 
received  by  Puffeigh,  who,  as  the  Stingers  heard  no  more  of  the  matter,  it  may  be 
presumed  forgot  to  account  for  it.  The  junks,  &c.,  &c.,  were  declared  lawful,  prizes, 
and  handed  over  to  the  highest  bidder,  the  amount  realized  being  sent  to  England  as 
prize  money,  which  was  not  paid  to  the  surviving  Stingers  for  some  years. 

A  subscription  was  set  on  foot  to  present  Thompson  with  a  testimonial,  but  the 
captain  threw  cold  water  upon  the  movement,  and  it  was  abandoned.  Jerry  was  quite 
lionized  ;  and  whenever  he  set  foot  on  shore,  would  be  noticed  by  all  the  residents,  and 
in  a  short  time  became  a  popular  man  with  the  Chinese  ladies'-maids,  who  felt  a  great 
interest  in  the  "  blue  jacket  who  had  rescued  the  lady  single-handed  against  about  two 
thousand  pirates,"  the  story  resolving  into  that  ere  it  reached  the  ears  of  those  young 
women. 

On  several  occasions  Thompson  was  called  into  the  merchants'  houses,  and  questioned 
by  the  ladies  as  to  the  young  lady's  recapture  ;  and  upon  the  recital  of  the  particulars, 
he  would  be  feasted  and  wined  to  his  heart's  content. 

Jerry  never  owned  to  having  kissed  the  young  lady  ;  that  he  kept  to  himself,  his 
version  being,  "  Yes,  mum  (your  good  health),  I  saw  the  young  lady,  who  looked  like  a 
sufferin'  angel,  as  she  lifted  up  the  curtain  (Thankee,  mum,  I'll  take  jist  half  a  glass 


oo  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

more),  and  with  that  she  gave  a  scream,  and  fainted  right  away  in  my  arms  (I  don't 
mind  if  I  do  have  another  slice  of  that  cake),  and  I  hollered  out,  Hurrah !  here  she  is. 
Did  she  thank  me  ever  ?  Yes !  she  put  out  her  hand  and  ses  (Here's  teowards  you 
agin,  mum,  and  may  you  have  health  and  happiness) '  God  bless  you,  Thompson,  for  all 
your  care  on  me.'  And  the  tears  stood  in  her  beautiful  eyes,  and  she  trembled,  and 
gave  me  a  ring,  which  I  wear  next  my  heart." 

Sometimes  the  lady  would  inquire  if  Jerry  had  left  a  sweetheart  behind  him,  upon 
which  he  would  remark  "  that  he  must  go,  as  his  time  were  up."  The  recollection  of 
Mary  Ann  would  cross  his  mind,  and  render  him  uncomfortable  for  a  momert.  However, 
that  sensation  did  not  last  long. 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG     "THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE."  89 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

ABOUT  three  weeks  after  the  occurrences  described  in  the  foregoing  chapter  the 
Stinger  was  ordered  to  Japan,  to  join  the  squadron  cruising  off  that  coast  in  search  of  the 
-Russian  fleet,  which  was  supposed  to  have  wintered  in  one  of  the  northern  ports  of  the 
island. 

Puffeigh  was  very  anxious  to  fall  in  with  a  prize,  his  principal  reason  for  taking 
command  of  the  Stinger  being  to  save  house  expenses,  and  make  as  much  prize  money  as 
possible.  In  order,  therefore,  still  further  to  retrench  his  expenditure,  he  discharged  his 
steward  before  leaving  Hong-Kong,  and,  of  all  persons  in  the  world,  took  the  boy  Jordun 
as  his  attendant ;  assigning  as  a  reason  that  the  boy  being  unfitted  for  heavy  work,  it 
was  better  to  make  a  steward  of  him  than  to  send  him  home,  where  he  would  be 
a  burden  to  his  friends.  Not  only  was  this  excuse  untrue,  but  the  captain  actually  saved 
money  by  having  the  boy  as  his  servant ;  and  that  exclusive  of  the  salary  he  would  have 
paid  a  proper  steward.  William  Jordun  was  rated  captain's  steward,  and  his  rations 
claimed  by  that  officer,  who  was  paid  for  them,  the  boy  being  fed  upon  the  scraps  and 
leavings  of  his  master's  meals. 

Of  course,  under  these  circumstances,  none  of  the  officers  were  ever  invited  to  dine  in 
his  cabin ;  and  it  was  amusing  to  hear  the  excuses  he  invented  in  order  to  explain  his 
not  having  a  competent  servant. 

"  It  was  very  unfortunate  my  not  being  able  to  obtain  that  French  steward,  was  it 
not  ?  "  he  observed  to  one  of  his  officers.  "  I  made  up  my  mind  to  ship  the  fellow  when 
the  admiral  bagged  him." 

"  He  lost  a  good  situation,  and  no  doubt  he  has  since  regretted  it,"  replied  the  officer 
with  respectful  sarcasm. 

Master  William  had  never  much  fear  of  Puffeigh,  but  when  he  became  his  servant 
the  little  he  had  quickly  vanished,  and  he  talked  to  his  captain  in  the  most  confidential 
and  cheeky  manner,  as  the  following  conversation  will  sufficiently  show  : 

"  What  did  you  do  with  those  chops  left  by  me  at  dinner  yesterday  ?  " 

"Chops?" 

"  Yes,  two  large  fat  chops  ;  surely  you  did  not  eat  them  for  your  dinner  ?  " 

"  I  never  seed  you  leave  no  chops,  sir." 

"  You  did  not  see  two  chops  left  yesterday  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,  there  was  no  chops  left  that  I  seed  ;  you  must  ha'  eat  'em  and  forgot  it." 

"  Well,  you  little  thief,  you  stole  them.     I'll  flog  you  if  you  don't  confess." 

"la  thief,  sir !  Well,  how  you  can  say  that,  I  don't  know.  Why,  I  might  as  well 
Say  that  you  stole  'em." 

"  Silence !     What  did  you  have  for  your  dinner  yesterday  ?  " 

"  Let  me  see.     I  had  two  chops — some  taters — ' 

"  Hang  you,  you  little  thief !     Why  did  you  deny  having  stolen  them  ?  " 

"  I  denigh  avin  a  hooked  them,  sir.     Oh !  where  does  you  expect  to  go  to  ?" 

"I'll  flog  you.  Go  to  the  pantry  and  think  over  that.  As  soon  as  we're  in  port  and 
I  can  get  a  steward,  I'll  flog  you." 

"Well,  I  never.     You  flog  me  for  eatin'  my  dinner.     I'm  allowed  as' much  as  I  can 


90  BLUE   JACKETS  ;    OK,    THE   ADVENTURES   OF 

eat  by  the  government,  and  you  takes  and  grabs  my  rashions,  and  gets  paid  for  'em,  and 
I  eats  yer  leavins, — them  yesterday  were  two  chops, — now  how  you're  going  to  flog  me 
for  that,  I  can't  see." 

"Silence!" 

The  boy  Jordun  pulled  his  forelock,  and  left  the  captain's  presence. 

The  ship  had  been  cruising  about  in  the  Gulf  of  Tartary  for  over  four  months,  and 
fresh  provisions  were  getting  low,  when  one  morning  they  sighted  a  French  man-of-war, 
Le  Terrible,  and  Puffeigh  received  a  present  of  three  sheep  from  her  commander.  Most 
captains  under  such  circumstances  would  have  divided  them  with  their  officers,  but  he 
was  too  mean,  and  kept  them  all  to  himself ;  the  weather  being  cold  the  meat  did  not. 
spoil  when  killed. 

Master  Jordun  lived  like  an  alderman  during  the  time  two  of  the  sheep  lasted,  and, 
in  spite  of  the  watchful  care  of  his  master,  managed  to  give  away  sundry  fat  morsels  to 
his  friends ;  but  when  the  third  animal  was  slaughtered,  Puffeigh  watched  its  being 
jointed,  and  directed  the  pieces  to  be  hung  up  in  his  gig,  which  was  secured  to  the  stern 
davits,  and  furthermore  ordered  a  sentry  to  be  placed  over  the  same,  day  and  night. 

The  hungry  midshipmen  and  still  more  hungry  crew  watched  the  joints,  the  number 
of  which  became  less  every  day,  until  at  last  there  was  only  one  remaining,  this  being  a 
leg,  which  through  exposure  and  hanging  had  become  as  tender  as  venison.  Puffeigh 
had  expressed  his  determination  to  have  it  for  his  dinner  the  next  day,  Sunday,  and 
during  his  evening  walk  sent  twice  for  his  cook,  and  gave  him  fresh  instructions  as  to 
the  manner  of  dressing  the  delicacy. 

Eight  o'clock  p.  M.,  and  the  sentry  who  took  up  his  position  over  the  mutton  was 
cautioned  to  keep  his  eyes  open.  At  twelve  the  man  was  relieved,  and  a  marine  named 
Foley  went  upon  guard,  and  at  four  o'clock  the  corporal  reported  him  as  intoxicated  to 
the  officer  of  the  watch,*upon  which  they  discovered  that  the  mutton  had  vanished. 

When  this  was  made  known  to  the  commander  he  became  greatly  enraged,  and 
swore  he  would  flog  the  sentry  and  all  the  watch  if  the  thief  were  not  discovered.  After 
church  was  over,  Puffeigh  mustered  the  men,  and  having  abused  them  as  "  thieves  and 
burglars,"  proceeded  to  order  several  of  the  watch  to  be  placed  in  irons,  upon  which  a 
midshipman  named  Holt  addressed  him  as  follows : — 

"  The  men  are  innocent,  sir.     I  saw  the  mutton  go." 

"  Where,  sir  ?  why  did  you  not  speak  before  ?  " 

"  I  have  been  below  all  the  morning,  and  did  not  know  what  was  going  on,  sir  ?  " 

"  What  do  you  know  of  the  theft  ?  "  t 

"  I  saw  the  meat  at  eleven  o'clock,  and  shortly  after  twelve  it  blew  a  strong  breeze, 
and  the  mutton  was  blown  away,  as  when  the  wind  lulled  it  was  not  there." 

Now  Mr.  Holt  was  the  nephew  of  one  of  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty,  and  his  uncle's 
heir,  so  Puffeigh  chose  to  accept  his  version,  and  even  dismissed  the  marine  with  a  light 
punishment.  The  fact  was,  the  middies  had  given  the  sentry  a  strong  dose  of  grog,  and 
then  appropriated  the  joint,  \vhich  was  cooked  in  the  engine-room  by  a  friendly  stoker. 

A  few  evenings  after,  they  sighted  several  ships,  and  as  two  of  them  looked  like 
Russian  men-of-war,  the  Stinger  got  up  steam,  and  was  soon  in  full  chase  after  them. 
The  su*.  was  sinking  upon  the  horizon,  and  the  ships  plainly  visible,  when  suddenly  one 
of  them  vanished  from  their  sight.  Puffeigh  and  his  officers  were  puzzled, — there  was 
one  of  the  vessels,  but  the  other  had  disappeared. 

"  It's  the  flying  Dutchman,"  observed  an  old  quartermaster. 

"  Beat  to  quarters  and  clear  for  action,"  shouted  the  captain. 

The  engineers  drove  the  Stinger  at  the  top  of  her  speed,  but  night  soon  hid  the 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."       91 

pursued  ship  ;  and  after  running  far  past  the  place,  the  commander  determined  to  lay  to 
until  daylight. 

About  four  bells  in  the  middle  watch  a  man  on  the  look-out  reported  "  ship  right 
ahead,"  and  a  large  vessel  sailed  past  them,  looming  in  the  fog  very  much  like  a  frigate. 
Puffeigh  was  turned  out,  and,  hurrying  on  deck,  gave  directions  to  bout  ship  and  beat 
to  quarters.  In  a  few  minutes  the  ship's  course  was  altered,  and  the  men  at  their  guns 
ready  to  pour  a  broadside  into  the  enemy.  There  was  a  thick  mist  falling,  and  every 
thing  on  deck  was  wet  and  sloppy ;  yet,  in  spite  of  that,  the  men  were  stripped  to  their 
waists,  and  as  eager  for  the  fray  as  a  lot  of  tigers.  PufFeigh  was  on  the  bridge, 
speaking-trumpet  in  hand,  and  gave  orders  to  fire  if  the  ship  did  not  reply  to  his  hail  the 
third,  time. 

"  Ship  ahoy  !     "What  shin's  that  ?  " 

No  reply. 

"  Ship  ahoy !     What  ship  is  that  ?  " 

Again  no  response. 

"  Ship  ahoy  !     Of  what  nation  are  you  ?  " 

Before  any  reply  could  be  heard  one  of  the  captains  of  a  forward  gun  pulled 
his  trigger  line,  and  immediately  the  others  discharged  their  guns.  A  howl  of  execration 
broke  from  the  enemy,  upon  which  the  Stingers  let  drive  another  volley. 

"  Cease  firing  !  let  us  wait  for  reply,"  roared  the  commander. 

Now  loud  upon  the  breeze  came  the  words,  "  Dod  rot  ye  !  What  do  you  mean  by 
firing  into  us  in  that  fashion  ?  " 

"  Are  you  an  enemy  ?  "  blurted  Puffeigh  through  his  speaking-trumpet. 

"  If  I  had  a  few  barkers  I'd  darn  soon  show  you  who  I  was,  you  cussed  fooL  I'm 
Amos  Pelton,  of  the  Minnehaha,  of  Martha's  Vineyard,  Massachusetts,  United  States 
of  America." 

"  This  is  Her  Britannic  Majesty's  ship  Stinger.     Are  you  damaged  ?  " 

At  this  moment  the  man  at  the  wheel  put  his  helm  aport,  and  the  ships  collided. 
After  striking  the  whaler  just  abaft  the  foremast,  the  Stinger  swung  round,  and 
dropped  alongside,  causing  the  boats  of  both  vessels  to  double  up  like  hat-boxes, — yards 
locked,  iron  gear  got  entangled,  rigging  carried  away,  and  general  confusion  prevailed, 
and  for  a  short  time  the  vessels  hugged,  ground,  and  rasped  each  other,  like  savage 
leviathans.  Upon  order  being  restored,  the  crews  vied  with  each  other  in  their  efforts 
to  free  their  respective  ships ;  and  when  at  last  tneir  exertions  were  successful,  each 
quickly  cleared  away  the  wreck,  and  proceeded  to  ascertain  the  amount  of  damage  it 
had  sustained,  and  to  repair  the  same  to  the  best  of  their  ability. 

When  morning  broke  the  Stinger  discovered  the  American  vessel  under  easy  sail 
upon  her  port  bow ;  and  after  breakfast  the  captain  was  seen  to  leave  his  ship  in  his 
gig.  Puffeigh  received  him  upon  his  quarter-deck,  and  politely  inquired  what  he 
wanted  ? 

"  Wall,  capt'n,  I  guess  John  Bull  'ull  have  to  pay  for  last  night's  amusement. 
Eleven  shot  holes  in  my  ship's  side,  a  fore-topmast  carried  away,  and  a  vallyble  dog 
killed,  air  to  be  paid  for,  capt'n." 

"  Why  did  you  not  answer  my  hail,  sir  ?     I  hailed  your  ship  three  times." 

"  Wall  now,  Capt'n,  we  never  heard  you,  an'  my  horn  was  below,  an'  I  didn't  get  it 
up  for  a  minute.  I  was  jes  a  going  to  hail  you,  when  bang  goes  your  guns,  and  I 
hollered  out  to  you  to  know  what  on  airth  you  was  about." 

"  Her  Britannic  Majesty's  ship,  captain — " 

"  All  right,  capt'n  don't  waste  your  words  on  me,  we'll  not  fight  over  this  little 


92  BLUE   JACKETS  J    OE,    THE   ADVENTURES    OF 

affair.  I'll  just  fix  matters,  and  run  down  to  Shanghay,  and  git  your  consul  to  foot 
my  bill." 

Having  settled  the  matter  so  far,  Captain  Amos  Pelton,  -who,  as  if  in  rivalry  of  the 
man-of-war  captain,  sported  a  suit  of  some  sort  of  naval  uniform,  next  asked  Puffeigh 
"  if  he  had  seen  any  Rooshians,"  upon  which  the  latter  informed  him  "  that  he  had  seen 
two  the  evening  before,  but  both  had  escaped." 

"  Ken  I  have  a  word  with  you  in  private,  capt'n  ? "  mysteriously  observed  the 
Yankee. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  come  below." 

Having  descended  into  the  captain's  cabin,  Captain  Pelton  imbibed  some  of 
Puffeigh's  brandy,  then  drawing  his  chair  towards  him  asked  in  a  whisper,  "ef  he 
wanted  to  find  out  the  Rooshian  ship  which  he  had  lost  sight  of  last  night  ?  " 

"I  do ;  and  would  guarantee  you  a  handsome  reward  if  you  give  me  any 
information." 

"  Wall  now,  capt'n,  your  runnin'  in  to  me  ain't  jes  the  most  friendly  kind  of  act, 
but  I'll  leave  that  for  our  consuls,  and  if  you  don't'  mind  acting  squarely,  I'll  give  you 
the  ren-dez-vous  of  the  Rooshian.  Le'  me  see,  she's  called  the  Volganoski.  I  ken  give 
you  her  next  rendezvous  ef  so  be  you  remunerate  me." 

Puffeigh  looked  at  the  captain  for  a  moment ;  but  as  he  appeared  as  serious  as  a 
judge,  he  thought  he  would  trust  him,  so  he  demanded  what  sort  of  remuneration  he 
required. 

"  Wall,  capt'n,  this  air  brandy  is  good ;  say  two  dozen  of  this,  a  dozen  of  sherry 
wine,  a  dozen  of  whiskey,  a  barl  of  cabin  biscuit,  some  fine  sugar,  some  sardines,  some 
canned  meats,  and  about  a  coil  of  inch  and  a  half  manilla  rope,  an'  I'll  give  you  the 
rendezvous." 

"  That's  too  much.  You  want  all  my  private  stores,  and  their  value  comes  out  of 
my  pocket." 

"  That's  jis  what  I  ask  them  for.  I  don't  want  none  of  your  infernal  government 
contract  stores.  I'm  a  reasonable  man,  and  not  a  darn'd  fool,  and  I  prefer  tew  have  the 
best.  Say,  capt'n,  I'm  off !  You  won't  take  my  offer  ?  Good  day  !  " 

"  Here  !  I'll  do  it,  but  what  security  have  I  that  you  will  not  deceive  me  ?" 

"  Jte-ceive  you  capt'n  ?  why,  dew  I  look  like  it  ?  " 

After  some  delay  the  articles  were  placed  in  the  skipper's  boat,  upon  which  he 
returned  to  Puffeigh's  cabin  and  wrote  the  following : — 

"Rendezvous  of  the  Russian  ship  Volganoski. 

"  On  the  12th  May  this  ship  will  be  found  at  anchor  off  the  Island  of  Sado  in  the 
Japanese  Sea." 

"  Thar,  capt'n  ef  you  jis  go  there  right  away,  you  will  capture  her  sure  pop,  and  I 
wish  you  joy  of  your  bargain." 

"  Well,  sign  it,  Captain  Pelton." 

"  No,  siree  ;  ef  I  did  that,  it  might  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Rooshians,  and  I  don't 
care  tew  risk  it ; "  saying  this,  the  cute  skipper  left  the  cabin,  descended  into  his  gig, 
and  in  a  few  moments  was  alongside  his  own  craft ;  then  hoisting  in  his  plunder  and  boat, 
he  set  sail,  and  made  off  in  the  opposite  direction  to  which  the  Stinger  was  heading. 

Puffeigh  did  not  impart  the  information  he  had  received  to  any  of  his  officers,  but 
kept  on  his  way  to  the  rendezvous,  off  which  he  arrived  five  days  afterwards,  but  found 
no  signs  of  the  Russian  ship.  Upon  returning  to  Hong-Kong  some  months  after  this, 
the  following  letter  was  handed  him,  and  upon  comparing  the  handwriting,  he 
conclud_ed  it  was  from  Captain  Amos  Pelton. 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."       93 

"  Shanghae, 
"  To  CAPTAIN  PUFFEIGH  OF  THE  BRITISH  SHIP  STINGER, 

"  You  will  be  delighted  to  hear  that  the  ship  which  disappeared  so  suddenly 
from  your  sight  one  evening  in  the  G-ulf  of  Tartary  was  the  Volganoski,  and  she 
had  on  board  the  Russian  admiral,  with  ifie  treasure  of  the  fleet.  She  furled  sails  just 
before  sunset,  and  became  invisible  to  you,  and  when  it  was  dark  altered  her  course 
and  passed  you,  leaving  ine  to  fool  you,  which  I  did  with  the  Rendezvous.  Your  brandy 
was  good,  and  I  should  very  much  like  to  sell  you  another  Rendezvous  for  some  more." 

"When  the  worthy  commander  read  this,  he  foamed  at  the  mouth,  and  wished  he 
could  have  the  whaling  captain  under  his  command  for  one  flay.  Probably  had  his 
amiable  desire  been  gratified,  Amos  Pelton  would  have  been  again  too  many  guns  for 
him. 

After  remaining  at  the  rendezvous  long  enough  to  find  that  he  had  been  hoodwinked 
by  his  informant,  Puffeigh  proceeded  to  the  Gulf  of  Tartary,  where  he  vented 
his  spite  upon  his  crew,  whom  he  drilled  almost  out  of  their  senses ;  for,  as  usual  in 
such  cases,  what  was  amusement  to  the  officers  was  torture  to  the  men. 

In  the  course  of  a  few  days  he  fell  in  with  H.M.S.  Choker,  who  reported  the 
presence  of  the  Russian  fleet  in  one  of  the  bays  at  the  head  of  the  Gulf  of  Tartary,  and 
despatched  the  Stinger  to  convey  the  news  to  the  admiral  at  Chickodadi.  Captain 
Puffeigh  made  all  possible  haste,  and  arrived  in  port  just  as  the  admiral  was  leaving 
for  the  north,  and  was  by  him  directed  to  remain  in  harbour  until  relieved  by  a 
smaller  ship.  The  Stingers  did  not  much  enjoy  their  stay  in  this  port,  as  immediately 
upon  arrival  a  cordon  of  boats  was  placed  round  the  vessel,  and  all  communication  with 
the  shore  strictly  interdicted  by  the  Japanese  authorities. 

Two  months  were  passed  in  this  dull  port,  and  the  Stingers  began  to  imagine 
themselves  forgotten,  when  one  morning  H.M.S.  Squeezer  steamed  into  the  harbour, 
and  delivered  mails  and  despatches,  by  which  Captain  Puffeigh  found  himself  directed 
to  proceed  at  once  to  the  Gulf  of  Pechele,  information  having  been  received  that  one  of 
the  Russian  ships,  which  had  escaped  from  the  Gulf  of  Tartary,  was  cruising  off  the 
mouth  of  the  Pei-Ho.  No  time  was  lost  in  getting  away  from  Chickodadi ;  and  two 
hours  after  the  reception  of  orders  the  Stinger  was  well  on  her  way  towards  the  coast 
of  China. 

"We  must  do  the  Japanese  the  credit  of  stating,  that  they  did  not  court  the  visits  of 
the  British  ships,  and  only  acted  according  to  time-honoured  custom,  in  refusing  to 
have  anything  to  do  with  "  outside  barbarians."  As  the  Stinger  was  getting  up  anchor 
the  harbour-master  came  off  with  a  present  of  a  boat-load  of  fresh  provisions,  which 
Captain  Puffeigh  courteously  accepted,  and  coolly  appropriated  to  his  own  use. 

In  the  mean  while  Clare,  who  had  been  unwell  for  some  time,  at  last  reluctantly 
went  to  the  doctor,  and  that  functionary,  upon  making  a  strict  examination  of  his  case, 
discovered  that  he  was  suffering  from  disease  of  the  heart,  no  doubt  brought  on  by  the 
shock  his  system  had  sustained  when  being  flogged. 

One  evening  Tom  was  sitting  by  the  fore-hatchway  in  conversation  with  Thompson, 
when  he  suddenly  asked  him  "  if  he  believed  in  ghosts  ?  "  Jerry,  who  imagined  his 
shipmate  was  joking,  at  first  laughed  at  the  question,  as  he  did  not  believe  in  any  such 
appearances,  and  seldom  scrupled  to  ridicule  those  who  affirmed  they  did ;  but  the 
serious  manner  of  his  companion  soon  attracted  his  attention  in  a  way  which  prevented 
his  taking  it  lightly. 

"  You  laugh  !     Well,  Jerry,  believe  it  or  not,  J.  saw  Polly  a  few  minutes  ago,  and 


94:  BLUE   JACKETS  J    OK,    THE   ADVENTURES   OF 

she  smiled  on  me  and  then  vanished.     This  is  the   sixteenth  day  of  August ;  I  won't 
forget  this  day." 

"  You're  out  of  order,  old  man;  it's  the  physic  you're  takin'  has  made  you  light- 
headed." 

"  No,  I  ain't  light-headed  ;  I  know  what  I'm  about ;  I  say  I  saw  Polly,  and  site's 
dead,"  saying  which  his  head  dropped,  and  he  remained  some  time  as  if  buried  in  deep 
thought. 

"  Come,  come,  old  man,  rouse  a  bit,  Polly's  all  right ;  you've  got  the  blues,  and  are 
out  of  sorts ;  you'll  be  all  right  in  a  day  or  two." 

However,  when  Clare  became  better  he  did  not  lose  the  impression  that  his  wife 
was  dead,  and  although  he  went  about  his  work  as  before,  a  great  weight  was  at  his 
heart.  Thompson  would  approach  the  subject,  and  try  to  ascertain  if  his  shipmate 
were  still  under  the  hallucination,  but  Tom  evaded  his  questions,  and  almost  resented 
his  friend's  officiousness. 

Puffeigh  continued  his  plan  of  retrenchment,  and  the  boy  Jordun  was  half-starved, 
being  often  indebted  for  a  full  meal  to  the  officer's  steward.  Upon  one  occasion  the 
commander  actually  directed  half  a  fowl  to  be  cooked  for  his  dinner,  and  the  remainder 
hung  until  the  next  day.  Jordun  severed  the  bird,  and  took  half  of  it  on  deck  in  order 
to  suspend  it  from  the  stay  with  the  rest  of  the  provisions,  but  presently  returned  to 
his  master,  saying,  "he  didn't  dare  hang  it,  as  the  men  chaffed  him  so." 

"  Chaffed  you  !     Who  dared  do  that  ?  " 

"  Why,"  blubbered  the  boy,  "  the  whole  bileing  on  'em  forward  was  a-larfin  and 
cuttin'  jokes  at  the  arf  of  a  fowl — askin'  if  we  killed  arf  at  a  time,  and  I  was  afraid  to 
hang  it  arter  what  they  said.  I  can't  bear  to  go  agin  pop'lar  opinion  like  that,  it's  too 
trying." 

"  Papular  opinion,  you  little  ass  !  Who  put  that  rubbish  into  your  head  ?" 

"  You  did,  sir." 

"I  did?" 

"  Yes,  sir !  Don't  you  remember,  when  Captain  Interest  said  you  wouldn't  be 
posted  until  you  got  back  to  England,  you  said,  '  Oh,  won't  I  ?  '  ses  you,  '  the  people  at 
home  will  hear  about  my  rescuing  the  young  girl  from  the  pirates,  and  there's  no  going 
agin  pop'lar  opinion." ' 

At  that  moment  a  boot  went  flying  after  Master  Jordun,  such  attacks  being  very 
common  on  the  part  of  his  master  when  he  found  himself  worsted  in  argument  with 
the  lad. 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      95 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

• 

HAVING  reconnoitered  the  Gulf  of  Pechele  from  Tang-chu  to  Lan-ho,  the  Stinger 
proceeded  into  the  entrance  of  the  Gulf  of  Leao-tong,  when,  finding  water  running  short, 
they  landed  at  a  place  called  Ngan-chow,  where  they  found  a  fresh  water  creek  and 
plenty  of  game.  As  the  country  seemed  void  of  population  in  that  part,  Puffeigh 
determined  to  invite  a  couple  of  officers  and  go  shooting  ;  so  about  6  o'clock  upon  the 
morning  after  they  anchored,  the  captain,  Lieutenant  Wilton,  Mr.  Beauman,  and  Jerry 
landed,  and  proceeded  in  search  of  sport. 

The  party  spent  a  very  pleasant  time,  during  which  they  shot  a  few  ducks  and 
several  species  of  snipe,  and  about  8  o'clock  they  halted  for  breakfast,  Jerry,  who  was 
literally  laden  with  articles  of  food  and  culinary  requisites,  soon  getting  a  fire  under 
way,  and  having  a  small  frying-pan  in  operation.  After  a  little  delay  the  cloth  was 
spread,  and  the  officers  fell-to  at  a  savoury  meal,  consisting  of  choice  portions  of  wild 
duck  fried  in  butter,  which  they  devoured  as  fast  as  their  cook  could  prepare  them. 

"  I  must  rate  you  my  chef,  Thompson,"  observed  Puffeigh ;  "  your  talent's  lost 
forward." 

"  I  don't  care  about  bein'  anything  but  what  I  am,  sir.  I  can't  cook  like  this  regler, 
if  it's  anything  in  the  cooking  line  you  want  me  for,  sir.  I  can  only  do  this  now  and 
then,  as  I  generally  spiles  all  the  grub  of  my  mess  when  I'm  cook,  sir." 

"  Never  mind,  hand  me  some  more  duck,  and  we  will  be  contented  with  your  cooking 
for  us  on  such  occasions  as  these,  my  man." 

At  that  moment  Mr.  Beauman  shaded  his  eyes  with  his  hands  and  looked  towards 
the  hills,  upon  which  Puffeigh  handed  him  his  field  glass ;  and  when  the  master  had 
surveyed  the  object  of  his  suspicion,  demanded  what  he  was  looking  at. 

"  I  can  see  a  body  of  Tartar  Bannermen  riding  this  way,"  replied  the  master,  "  and 
we  had  better  return  to  our  boat,  as  they  are  ugly  customers." 

"  Finish  your  breakfast, — there's  time ;  they  are  miles  away." 

However,  the  meal  was  nearly  over,  so  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  the  master  they 
left  the  place  and  proceeded  towards  the  boat,  which  was  distant  about  three  miles. 
Having  crossed  the  sand  ridge  thrown  up  by  the  sea,  they  walked  along  the  cool 
beach,  and,  as  they  deemed  the  Tartars  still  a  good  way  off,  did  not  hurry.  After  a 
pleasant  walk,  they  arrived  off  the  place  where  the  gig  was  anchored,  and  upon  the 
captain's  making  the  signal,  the  crew  got  up  anchor,  and  pulled  in  towards  the  beach. 
They  were  within  about  two  hundred  yards  of  the  shore  when  an  exclamation  on  the 
part  of  Mr.  Beauman  caused  the  captain's  party  to  look  round,  and  to  their  astonish- 
ment they  observed  two  Tartars  riding  along  the  sand  ridge,  not  fifty  yards  off,  and 
whiz  came  an  arrow  which  narrowly  missed  Puffeigh  Before  they  could  recover  from 
their  surprise  the  Tartars  were  upon  them  and  engaged  in  combat  with  Beauman  and 
Thompson,  Puffeigh  and  Wilton  managing  to  escape  and  reach  the  boat  in  safety.  The 
Tartar  method  of  capture  was  at  once  novel  and  annoying,  as  it  consisted  in  seizing 
the  victims  by  the  clothes,  and  then  attempting  to  ride  off  with  them.  Beauman 
recovered  his  presence  of  mind  sufficiently  to  draw  his  revolver  and  shoot  his  captor's 
horse  ;  then  having  got  over  the  shock  of  the  fall,  he  shot  his  assailant  through  the 


96  BLUE  JACKETS;  OR,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

heart,  released  himself,  and  retreated  towards  the  boat,  not  aware  that  Thompson  was 
still  in  the  enemies'  hands. 

Jerry  felt  himself  lifted  by  the  collar  of  his  serge  shirt ;  and  as  it  was  slack,  every 
now  and  then  he  received  a  bump,  the  ground  being  somewhat  broken  into  mounds  ; 
but  thinking  it  useless  to  bo  carried  off  like  a  captive  turkey,  he  managed  by  turning  a 
little  to  fix  his  teeth  in  the  Tartar's  leg.  On  that  his  captor  let  him  go  with  a  curs'e,  and 
as  his  horse  dashed  off  frightened  by  the  clatter  of  Jerry's  cooking  utensils,  it  took  him 
some  time  to  rein  him  in.  But  no  sooner  was  Jerry  on  his  pins  than  he  made  a  dash 
towards  the  boat.  When  Puffeigh  saw  this  he  ordered  his  men  to  back  to  within  a 
hundred  yards  of  the  shore,  and  called  Thompson  "  to  swim  for  it ; "  but  at  that 
moment  the  main  body  of  the  Bannermen  rode  over  tha  sand  ridge,  and  Jerry  bawling 
to  the  officers  to  leave  him  to  his  fate,  and  not  risk  their  own  lives,  coollv  awaited  their 
arrival.  They  were  soon  down  upon  him,  and  having  seized  him  they  discharged  their 
arrows  at  the  retreating  boat  and  then  rode  over  the  sand  hill  out  of  sight.  Had 
Puffeigh  and  his  party  endeavoured  to  rescue  him  the  whole  of  them  would  have  been 
captured,  and  we  will  do  the  captain  the  credit  of  stating  that  he  expressed  verv  great 
concern  about  Jerry's  untimely  fate. 

Upon  arrival  on  board  Puffeigh  found  the  water-party  had  returned,  so  knowing 
it  would  be  useless  to  endeavour  to  recover  a  man  who  was  probably  murdered  by  that 
time,  he  made  sail  and  returned  to  Chickodadi,  where  he  received  his  dispatches,  and 
found  he  was  ordered  to  proceed  to*  Hong-Kong.  Great  was  the  regret  of  all  the 
Stingers  to  hear  of  Jerry's  untimely  end,  and  it  was  long  before  they  got  over  his  loss  ; 
in  fact,  he  never  was  forgotten,  and  his  witty  stories,  popular  songs,  and  amusing 
sayings,  often  were  quoted,  and  the  Stingers  would  tell  new  shipmates  "  what  a  jolly 
good  fellow  he  was,"  and  how  sorry  they  were  when  the  "  thundering  Tartars  carried 
him  off." 

A  few  days  after  leaving  Chickodadi  they  overhauled  H.M.S.  Blister,  and  were 
ordered  to  remain  by  her,  as  it  was  feared  she  would  not  reach  Hong-Kong  without 
assistance,  she  having  about  twenty-four  hours  before  collided  with  and  sunk  a 
transport. 

Now  be  it  known  that  Puffeigh  had  taken  a  great  dislike  to  Sergeant  Spine  of  the 
Royal  Marines,  so  one  Sunday  morning,  after  abusing  that  well-drilled  and  intensely 
rigid   individual,  he  wound  up  his  tirade  by  directing  Corporal  Kerr  of  the  Royal 
Marine  Artillery  to  remove  the  three  good-conduct  stripes  which  decorated  his  arm. 
The  sergeant  was  a  thin  bamboo-shaped  fellow,  long  in  body  and  small  in  head,  his 
tight  leathern   stock  giving  him  a  chronic  stiff-neck,   and  making  his   countenance 
when  at  rest  strongly  resemble  that  of  a  half-choked  kitten.     He  was  always  drilling 
some  one ;  and  so  inveterate  was  this  habit  with  him,  that  when  not  operating  upon 
others  he  drilled  himself.     Spine  had  a  certain  number  of  motions  in  which  to  perform 
every  action  of  his  life.     He  would  rise,  or  rather  turn  out  of  his  hammock  in  six,  dress 
in  eighteen,  eat  his  food  with  eleven,  and  say  his  prayers  wifch  three,  and  it  was  amus- 
ing  to   hear  him   give   himself  the   word  of   command,  which  he  would   do  in  an 
undertone,   even  when   in  the   presence   of  his   superior   officers.      The  commander 
considered  the  sergeant  wanting  in  proper   respect  towards  him;    so  when  Crushe 
reported  the  man  as  "  an  illicit  dealer  in  sardines,  pickles,  blacking,  and  other  luxuries," 
not  knowing  how  to  class  the  offence,  or  otherwise  punish  the  non-commissioned  officer, 
he  hit  upon  the  idea  of  cutting  off  the  sergeant's  good-conduct  stripes,  thereby  degrad- 
ing him  in  the  eyes  of  the'Royal  Marines  and  Artillerymen,  who  were  serving  under 
his  command,  and  affording  a  rich   treat  to  the  sailors,   who  are  always  delighted  to 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      97 

witness  any  punishment  inflicted  upon  their  enemies — the  sergeant  of  marines  or  ship's 
corporal. 

A  warrant  had  been  made  out  and  duly  signed  by  Puffeigh,  and  when  Divine 
Service- was  concluded,  the  marines  and  sailors  were  mustered  upon  the  quarter-deck, 
and  the  commander  read  the  warrant  which  stated,  "  That  whereas,  Sergeant  John 
Spine,  Royal  Marine  Light  Infantry,  had  upon  sundry  and  divers  occasions  sold  illicitly, 
disposed  of,  or  induced  others — to  wit,  the  seamen  and  boys  belonging  to  H.M.S.  Stingar 
— to  purchase  sundry  articles,  to  wit,  sardines,  pickles,  and  blacking  at  more  than  four 
times  their  value,  and  the  said  sergeant  having  pleaded  guilty  to  the  offence,  as  a 
punishment  his  good-conduct  stripes  were  taken  from  him." 

When  the  warrant  was  read  Spine  drew  himself  up  (onejfc  saluted  (two),  stood  at 
attention  (three),  and  then  addressed  his  commander. 

"  Captain  Puffeigh,  twenty  years,  as  boy  and  man,  have  I  served  my  country,  and  I 
have  always  endeavoured  to  do  my  duty.  You  have  directed  my  good-conduct  stripes  " 
(here  he  spoke  with  emotion)  "  to  be  cut  off,  and  I  am  ranked  with  felons — yes,  Captain 
Puffeigh,  with  felons." 

"  Don't  talk  rubbish,  sergeant !  " 

"  I  am  a  non-commissioned  officer  in  the  Royal  Marine  Light  Infantry,  and  know 
full  well  what  discipline  means,  sir,  but  I  respectfully  pro^st  against  this  punishment, 
and  demand  to  be  tried  by  court-martial." 

"  Is  that  all,  sergeant  ?  "  sneered  Crushe.     . 

"  I  wasn't  addressing  you,  Lieutenant  Crushe.  Sir,  Captain  Puffeigh,  will  you  have 
me  tried  by  court-martial  or  not  ?  Sir,  will  you  do  me  that  act  of  justice  ?  " 

"  No,  sergeant." 

"  You  won't,  sir  ?  " 

"  No,  sergeant,  and  be  hanged  to  you,  you  precious  old  peddler !  Considering  the 
way  you  have  robbed  the  men,  I  let  you  off  very  cheaply ;  I  ought  to  disrate  you  to 
corporal." 

"  Good  Heavens,  sir  !  you  don't  mean  to  say  you'd  think  of  doing  such  a  thing  ?  " 

"  Just  as  soon  as  look  at  you  ;  there,  go  below." 

Sergeant  Spine  descended  the  ladder  like  one  in  a  dream,  walked  to  his  store  cup- 
board, took  out  several  packages  of  blacking,  tins  of  sardines,  and  bottles  of  pickles, 
giving  himself  the  word  of  command  for  each  action,  then  walking  to  the  coaling  port, 
which  was  opened  to  ventilate  the  lower  deck,  he  cried,  "  one,"  and  threw  the  blacking 
overboard  ;  "  two,"  sent  the  sardines  after  it ;  "  three,"  and  pitched  the  bottles  of  pickles 
clear  of  the  side  :  returning  to  his  cupboard  he  changed  his  badgeless  coat  for  an  old 
one  upon  which  the  beloved  stripes  still  remained,  doing  this  in  five  motions ;  then 
pulling  forth  an  old  silk  handkerchief,  spread  it  upon  the  floor,  in  two  evolutions,  and 
kneeling  rigidly  upon  it,  shut  his  eyes  and  drilled  himself  iato  prayer.  After  remaining 
a  few  moments  in  an  attitude  of  devotion  he  rose,  grasped  his  rifle,  loaded  it,  with 
the  usual  number  of  motions,  directing  his  own  actions,  which  attracted  the  attention  of 
boy  Jordun,  who  was  lounging  near  upon  one  of  the  officers'  chests,  when  he  espied 
the  lad,  who,  eyeing  him  suspiciously,  coolly  said,  "  I  say,  Stripey,  you  ain't  agoing  to 
shoot  yourself,  are  you  ?  " 

"No,  my  boy,"  replied  the  excited  soldier,  who  now  altered  his  plan  of  suicide. 

"  Then  what  are  ye  a  loadin'  yer  musket  for  ?  " 

Spine  crossed  over  to  where  the  boy  was  sitting,  grasped  him  by  the  arm,  and 
fiercely  exclaimed,  "  Boy,  bear  witness  that  Captain  Puffeigh,  Royal  Navy,  has  driven 
me  to  this  ! "  then  marched  to  the  coaling  port,  and  saying  "  one,"  "  two,"  deliberately 
dived  overboard. 

7 


98  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVENTUKE&  OF 

William  Jordun  laughed,  as  if  the  soldier  had  done  some  very  amusing  feat,  then 
went  upon  the  quarter-deck  and  informed  the  captain  that  "  the  sergeant  had  drowned 
himself  overboard." 

"  Bless  me — you  don't  say  so  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.  He  sed  to  me,  '  Bill  Jordun,  bear  witness  that  Captain  Puffeigh  told  me 
to  do  this,'  and  then  he  went  and  posted  hisself  in  the  coal-port,  like  a  letter  in  a  office- 
box." 

"  Man  overboard !  "  shouted  the  sentry  upon  the  bridge,  and  upon  running  aft  the 
captain  saw  the  sergeant  struggling  in  the  water  about  three  hundred  yards  astern  of 
the  ship. 

"  Make  a  signal  to  the  Blister  to  pick  up  man  overboard." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  replied  the  signal-man,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  signal  was  fluttering 
to  the  breeze  from  the  mizzen-mast  of  the  Stinger. 

All  hands  ran  aft  and  saw  the  Blister  lower  a  boat,  which  picked  Up  the  sergeant 
and  took  him  on  board. 

"  Affirmative  flag  over  church  pendant,"  signalled  they,  to  show  the  man  was 
recovered. 

"  Thank  you1'  (by  the  same  process),  replied  the  Stinger. 

Sergeant  Spine  never  rejoined  his  own  ship,  as  upon  being  taken  on  board  the 
Blister,  he  fell  upon  his  knees  and  piteously  requested  her  commander  ' '  not  to  send 
him  back  to  hell ;  "  so  upon  arrival  in  Hong-Kong  he  was  despatched  to  the  hospital- 
ship,  where  he  was  declared  to  be  insane,  and  sent  home.  He  was  received  in  Ports- 
mouth barracks  as  a  martyr,  and  his  stripes  restored  to  him  iipon  parade,  but  he 
never  got  quite  right  again  mentally,  and  was  soon  afterwards  pensioned  off,  when 
he  retired  to  his  native  town,  and  went  into-  business  as  a  dealer  in  pickles  and 
other  luxuries,  being  enabled  to  start  a  shop  with  the  money  he  had  wrung  out  of  the 
men  and  boys  on  board  the  Stinger.  He  still  does  everything  according  to  regulation, 
and  his  only  sorrow  is  that  he  cannot  induce  his  wife  to  submit  to  his  eccentricity  in 
this  line.  "  I  won't  lay  the  breakfast  by  revolutions  to  please  him,  blest  if  I  will !  " 
observed  Mrs.  Spine,  and  her  friends  highly  approve  of  this  show  of  spirit. 

Much  to  the  disgust  of  his  crew,  Puffeigh  kept  by  the  Blister  until  they  entered 
Hong-Kong  harbour.  His  men  imagined  that  every  hour's  delay  shortened  their  stay 
in  port,  so  they  grumbled  and  growled  after  the  manner  of  men-of-war's-meu,  and  wished 
the  disabled  ship  in  Davy  Jones's  locker,  forgetting  all  the  time  that  duty,  not  his  own 
pleasure,  kept  their  captain  by  the  disabled  craft.  They  wrongfully  accused  him  that 
time,  although  it  mattered  little  to  him  what  they  said  or  did,  provided  he  did  not  hear 
them  openly  express  their  opinions. 

The  mails  were  received  and  distributed  in  the  manner  before  described,  and  Thomp- 
son's letters  returned  to  the  post-office  with  the  words,  "  Dead.  Killed  by  Chinese 
Tartars,"  written  across  them,  as  every  one  believed  that  Jerry  was  no  more  an  inhabitant 
of  the  earth.  Ma,ry  Ann  received  hers,  and  grieved  most  sincerely  for  the  loss  of  one 
she  loved  better  than  any  other  being  in  the  world.  Miss  Pferdscreptern,  who  also 
had  a  letter  returned  to  her,  after  looking  at  the  fatal  words  for  about  an  hour,  heaved 
a  deep  sigh  and  ejaculated,  "  Hombogs  he  tusant  go  for  to  gits  todt,  Scherry  is  not 
ein  narr,"  then  reclined  in  her  chair,  and  woman-like  indulged  in  a  cry, — observing  to 
her  neighbours,  "  Ach,  he  vos  ein  goot  veller,  und  I  skull  never  gets  eiu  oder  maim 
likes  him,  ach  Gott !  '  The  poor  girl  mourned  the  loss  of  her  lover  for  above  a  year, 
when  one  day  the  skipper  of  a  coasting  schooner  solemnly  proposed  to  her,  and  she 
soon  afterwards  became  Mrs.  Captain  Schwartz. 

How  Thompson's  other  loves  received  the  news  of  his  decease  we  know  not,  but 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    "  THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE."  1>9 

doubtless  the  report  was  a  severe  shock  to  several  ladies  besides  those  mentioned. 
In  Hong-Kong  the  general  belief  was  that  under  any , circumstances  Jerry  was  not 
dead,  the  Chinese  ladies'-maids  scouting  the  idea  of  a  man  who  had  killed  so  many 
pirates  being  wiped  out  by  a  few  mangy  bannermen ;  however,  they  put  on  white 
dresses  as  a  sign  of  mourning  for  him,  and  when  they  met  for  gossip  would  speak 
with  regret  of  "  the  brave  fighting  sailor  who  ate  so  many  pirates." 

Clare  received  a  number  of  letters  from  his  wife,  in  which  she  gave  glowing 
accounts  of  the  progress  made  by  their  little  one,  whom  she  had  named  after  her 
beloved  husband.  Tom  was  delighted  to  receive  these  proofs  of  her  affection,  but 
he  argued,  "these  letters  are  all  dated  June.  I  saw  her  spirit  on  tfte  \QlJi  of  August. 
When  I  get  a  letter  dated  any  time  after  that,  I  shall  think,  as  poor  Jerry  did, 
that  it  was  my  imagination,  but  until  then  my  heart  is  sore  heavy." 

The  Stinger  was  refitted  with  great  despatch,  and  her  men  were  allowed  unlimited 
liberty  to  go  on  shore.  From  a  bully,  Puffeigh  suddenly  toned  down  into  a  fatherly 
commander  professing  the  utmost  solicitude  for  the  health,  comfort,  and  moral  welfare 
of  his  crew.  Hours  of  work  were  shortened,  the  black-list  done  away  with,  no  one 
punished  when  reported  by  the  first  lieutenant,  and  a  degree  of  license  reached  which 
should  never  be  tolerated  on  board  any  ship.  From  rigid  and  overstrained  discipline 
they  relaxed  into  the  greatest  disorder,  such  being  the  usual  action  of  persons  like 
Puffeigh,  who  carry  everything  to  extremes.  Crushe  endeavoured  to  change  this  state 
of  things,  and  twice  reported  men  for  gross  insolence ;  but  upon  hearing  the  evidence, 
the  captain  dismissed  the  sailors,  and  shortly  afterwards  rated  them  petty  officers. 
The  first  lieutenant  chafed  under  the  restraint,  as  he  knew  now  his  power  was  gone, 
the  men  would  take  advantage  of  the  commander's  weakness,  and  treat  him  with 
indifference. 

One  day,  after  having  been  openly  insulted  by  the  captain-of-the-fore-top,  Crushe 
sought  a  private  interview  with  Puffeigh,  and  plainly  told  him  if  he  did  not  alter  his 
behaviour  towards  him,  that  he  would  resign  the  service,  or  do  something  which  would 
cause  the  matter  to  be  investigated. 

"  So  you  think  I  am  too  indulgent  to  the  brutes,  do  you,  Crushe  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  and  that  at  my  expense.     I  do  not  know  why  I  am  thus  treated." 

"  Now  listen  to  me  !  We  have — that  is,  you  and  I — been  handling  our  crew  rather 
sharply,  not  that  I  for  one  moment  argue  that  they  ought  to  be  better  treated,  but  we 
have  kept  them  down  with  the  lash,  and,  between  ourselves,  killed  a  few  in  so  doing. 
Now,  my  dear  Crushe,  one  of  us  must  suffer  if  some  blackguard  among  the  crew  tells 
the  story ;  and  I  begin  to  see  trouble  if  those  infernally  low  newspaper  fellows  get  hold 
of  such  a  man.  Now,  it's  not  likely  to  go  beyond  the  ship  if  you  bear  this  for  a  few 
days  more.  I'll  give  the  hounds  liberty — make  them  think  I'm  a  good  fellow,  hang 
them  !  and  you  must  put  up  with  it.  If  I  get  into  hot  water  with  the  rabble  at  home, 
you  are  certain  to  follow,  and  I  shall  plead  sickness,  and  throw  all  the  blame  on  you  ; 
and  you  know  no  court-martial  would  convict  me.  I'll  make  the  crew  act  in  a  manner 
which  will  belie  any  statements  made  by  one  or  two  dissatisfied  beasts  among  them, 
who  fancy  they  have  a  right  to  be  treated  like  men ;  then  if  they  come  forward  to  give 
us  trouble,  we  can  bring  overwhelming  proof  that  our  men  were  the  most  happy,  jolly, 
devil-me-care  fellows  in  the  navy." 

"  And  I  am  to  be  your  scapegoat,  Captain  Puffeigh  ?  " 

"  My  dear  Crushe,  the  next  mail  will  bring  news  of  our  promotion,  you  to 
commander,  and  I  to  post-captain ;  then  you  may  laugh  at  your  detractors." 

"  But  why  ngt  obtain  these  results  without  humiliating  me  !'     I  am  insulted  by  the 


100  BLUE   JACKETS  J    OR,    THE    ADVENTURES    OF 

brutes  who  formerly  trembled  when  they  saw  me  ;  now  they  laugh  at  my  threats,  and 
appeal  to  you,  who  dismiss  them,  and  encourage  their  insubordination." 

"  My  dear  Crushe,  as  I  said  before,  I  must  leave  this  ship  with  a  good  name,  as  far 
as  the  men  are  concerned  ;  and  as  one  or  two  of  your  acts  ended  in  the  death  of  the 
fellows  you  took  in  hand,  I  think  you  had  better  not  oppose  me,  or  we  might  both  be 
called  to  account  by  the  newspaper  people." 

The  first  lieutenant,  like  all  cowards,  shrunk  from  inquiry  into  conduct  which  he 
could  not  defend  ;  and  was  therefore  obliged  to  put  up  with  it,  and  make  the  best  of 
the  matter.  It  was  gall  and  wormwood  to  him,  yet  only  fair  that  he  who  had  played 
the  part  of  bully  should  be  humiliated  in  the  eyes  of  those  over  whom  he  had 
tyrannized. 

A  few  days  after  the  foregoing  conversation  the  captain  announced  his  intention  of 
giving  a  ball,  and,  true  to  his  mean  instincts,  requested  the  co-operation  of  his  officers. 
Now,  as  anything  that  afforded  them  an  opportunity  of  meeting  fair  women  was 
eagerly  seized  upon  by  these  gentlemen,  it  was  soon  arranged  that  the  commander 
should  be  released  from  all  pecuniary  expenditure  in  the  matter,  and  the  expenses 
borne  by  the  commissioned  officers  and  midshipmen,  according  to  rank.  Puffeigh 
approved  of  the  idea,  and  gave  the  use  of  his  cabin  and  -gig,  in  fact,  of  everything 
allowed  him  by  the  service,  but  he  did  not  offer  to  contribute  wine  or  any  article  which 
would  have  to  be  paid  for  out  of  his  own  purse.  He  went  on  shore,  invited  every  one 
he  knew,  and  talked  loudly  about  the  preparations  that  were  being  made  on  board  to 
entertain  7iis  guests,  but  he  omitted  to  inform  his  acquaintances  that  his  officers  had  a 
hand  in  the  matter  ;  fortunately  for  the  service  there  were  few  like  him. 

The  Stingers  worked  with  a  will  and  soon  turned  the  quarter-deck  into  a  ball-room, 
A  double  awning  was  spread  and  screens  laced  along  its  sides,  then  stores  of  loot  from 
the  pirates'  cave  were  brought  forward,  and  the  roof  draped  with  red,  white,  and  blue 
calico.  Active  sailors  brought  off  palm  branches  and  decorated  the  main  and  mizzen 
masts,  until  they  looked  like  trees.  The  band  of  the  regiment  stationed  on  shore  was 
spared  for  the  occasion  by  the  colonel,  and  the  orchestra  provided  for  them  hung  with 
scarlet  cloth  edged  with  gold  lace.  Officers  and  crew  worked  together,  and  the  men 
vied  with  each  other  in  their  efforts  to  please  the  officers  who  directed  the  affair.  The 
only  ones  not  actively  engaged  in  the  work  were  Crushe  and  Cravan,  who  endeavoured, 
in  spite  of  the  confusion,  to  carry  on  the  ordinary  routine ;  but  as  no  one  attended  to 
them,  finally  concluded  to  give  it  up,  and  amuse  themselves  by  passing  sneering 
remarks  upon  what  they  were  pleased  to  term  the  "  attempts  at  decoration." 

At  last  the  eventful  night  came ;  and  although  leave  of  absence  was  freely  offered 
to  all  the  crew,  not  a  man  but  Clare  availed  himself  of  it.  and  he  took  the  opportunity 
to  visit  another  ship,  on  board  of  which  was  a  man  who  had  just  come  from  his  wife's 
native  place.  About  eight  o'clock  the  guests  arrived  and  were  received  at  the  gang- 
way by  a  number  of  officers  and  escorted  aft  to  the  reception-tent  which  was  placed 
upon  the  quarter-deck  abaft  the  mizzen  mast.  The  middies  were  in  high  glee  :  and, 
wonderful  to  relate,  appeared  as  united  as  a  band  of  patriots ;  old  feuds  were  buried 
and  forgotten  by  the  delighted  lads,  who  under  the  benign  infhience  of  beauty  became 
as  mild  as  lambs.  This  happy  state  of  things  lasted  until  the  dancing  commenced, 
after  which  whenever  a  middy  succeeded  in  engaging  the  hand  of  any  much-prized 
lady  for  a  dance,  he  had  immediately  upon  its  conclusion  to  descend  into  the  ^un-room 
nnd  engage  in  combat  with  his  rivals :  there  was  no  delaying  until  the  morrow, — 
their  nautical  blood  was  iip,  and  have  it  out  they  must.  It  was  nothing  uncommon 
upon  a  young  lady  inquiring  for  her  late  partner  to  be  told  by  the  victor  that  Mr.  So- 
and-So  had  gone  on  duty,  which  meant  that  the  young  gentleman  named  was  below, 


,T.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      101 

holding  the  handle  of  the  Downton-pump  to  one  of  his  eyes,  or  trying  to  arrest  the 
bleeding  of  his  nasal  organ  by  the  application  of  a  cold  ramrod  to  his  spine.  Of 
course  this  was  an  exceptional  case,  the  middies  belonging  to  the  Stinger  having  been, 
through  the  meanness  of  their  captain,  for  a  long  time  deprived  of  an  opportunity  of 
entertaining  ladies  on  board,  and  -were  consequently  somewhat  excited  by  so  unusual 
an  influx  of  youth  and  beauty. 

The  naval  and  military  heroes  carried  off  all  the  belles  as  partners,  and  those  rash 
civilians  who  had'ventured  on  board  found  themselves  obliged  to  dance  with  the  "  roses 
of  a  former  summer,"  who  were  therefore  not  upon  that  occasion  left "  blooming  alone." 
About  eleven  o'clock  supper  was  announced,  and  the  guests  were  escorted  to  the 
lower  deck,  which  they  found  decorated,  and  laid  out  as  a  spacious  supper-room.  The 
number  invited  had  been  somewhat  increased  at  the  last  moment  by  the  arrival  of  a 
large  party  of  merchants  and  their  families  from  Canton;  this  and  a  run  upon  the 
champagne  caused  the  master  who  catered  for  the  refreshment  department  to  seek  the 
commander  and  tell  him  that  the  champagne  had  given  out;  thereupon  Puffeigh,  who 
was  seated  between  two  lovely  girls,  called  for  his  steward,  and  handing  him  the  key 
of  his  wine-room,  told  him  to  give  out  some  of  his  wine,  adding,  "  I  give  this  as  my 
share,  Beauman."  The  master  told  his  steward  to  get  what  champagne  he  required 
from  the  boy  Jordun,  and  there  the  matter  ended  as  far  as  he  was  concerned. 

Master  William  was  delighted.  "  What !  the  old  un  give  me  charge  of  the  key !  " 
he  exclaimed.  "  Come  along,  steward,  we'll  hand  out  the  shampegnee."  The  steward 
deputed  by  Beauman  did  not  descend  to  the  store-room  with  Jordun,  but  pressed  a 
sailor-waiter  into  his  service,  who  having  passed  up  two  baskets  for  the  use  of  the  guests, 
quietly  demanded  two  more. 

"  What  for  ?  "  asked  the  proud  holder  of  the  key. 

"  Why,  for  ourselves,  my  keovy  ;  don't  we  want  a  drink  ?" 

The  boy  did  as  requested,  then  locked  the  store  and  returned  the  key  to  Puffeigh, 
•who  quietly  inquired,  "  how  many  dozen  did  they  take  ?  " 

"  Four,  sir ; "  and  added,  "  Please,  sir,  I'm  ill,  may  I  turn  in  ?     I  can't  see  for  boil.'' 

As  the  captain  had  no  particular  use  for  his  steward,  he  gave  him  permission  to 
retire,  upon  which  William  went  forward  and  assisted  in  the  absorption  of  the  champagne. 
Happy  sailor's  !  imbibing  wine  stolen  from  their  late  enemy  ;  and  still  happier  Puffeigh, 
surrounded  by  youth  and  beauty,  totally  unconscious  that  his  choice  "  Grand  vin  du 
Czar"  was  being  poured  down  the  throats  of  his  sailors  forward.  Some  few  of  the 
men  held  aloof,  and  would  not  join  the  revellers,  as  they  feared  the  punishment  which 
might  follow  ;  but  the  others  profited  by  their  squeamishnesss,  and  the  stolen  draught 
•was  not  less  sweet  on  account  of  the  risk  of  after  consequences.  Master  Jordun  drank 
very  little  of  the  wine, — he  didn't  care  about  that, — his  object  was  to  punish  the 
captain's  stores,  but  he  watched  every  wire  cut  and  secured  the  corks  and  empty  bottles. 
These  he  contrived  to  take  aft  and  place  with  the  others  ;  and  in  the  excitement  of  the 
next  day,  Puffeigh  forgot  to  examine  into  the  matter,  so  the  theft  was  not  discovered. 

Supper  was  over,  and  the  dancing  recommenced,  when  a  rocket  fired  from  a  steamer 
entering  the  harbour  announced  to  the  guests  that  the  P.  and  O.  S.  S.  Aya  had  arrived 
with  the  mails.  A  boat  was  sent  on  board  the  flag-ship,  and  in  about  an  hour  the  officer 
returned  bearing  dispatches  from  the  Admiralty  and  Puffeigh  announced  to  his 
guests  that  he  was  promoted  to  be  post  captain.  This  news  was  received  with  acclama- 
tion, and  when  he  informed  them  that  Lieutenant  Crushe  was  promoted  also,  and  that 
they  were  both  to  leave  the  next  day  by  the  down  coast  steamer,  the  gentlemen  cheered, 
and  the  ladies  crowded  round  the  dear  captain  and  charming  commander.  More 
champagne  was  obtained,  but  upon  this  occasion  a  midshipman  was  intrusted  with  the 


102  BLUE   JACKETS  ;    OK,    THE    ADVENTURES    OF 

key  of  the  captain's  private  store.  The  health  of  "  Captain  Puffeigh,  God  bless  him ! " 
and  "  Commander  Crushe,  God  bless  him ! "  was  drunk  by  the  company,  -who  imagined 
both  officers  to  be  gentlemen  in*  every  sense  of  the  word,  as  indeed  they  were  so  far  as  the 
guests  could  discern ;  but  those  who  pay  friendly  visits  to  a  man-of-war  cannot  be  judges 
of  what  the  working  of  the  service  is  like,  although  such  casual  observers  may  imagine 
they  know  all  about  the  matter. 

The  excitement  forward  was  very  great,  and  an  extra  allowance  of  grog  was  served 
out  t»  the  men  in  order,  as  Puffeigh  observed,  that  they  might  join  in  the  general  festiv- 
ity. "  Give  them  a  good  drink  apiece, — I  order  it ;  let  all  of  them,  boys  and  all,  have  a 
good  glass  of  grog." 

"  Generous  dear !  "  murmured  a  young  lady  near  him.  "  How  good  he  is ;  thinks  of 
his  men  first  of  all." 

"  Give  the  men  the  remains  of  the  supper — pipe  hands  to  supper.  There's  lots  for 
them ;  they  will  pick  the  bones  for  us." 

"  Dear  fellow ! "  exclaimed  an  old  maid,  ogling  him  through  her  eye-glass ;  upon 
which  Puft'eigh  shuddered  and  turned  towards  one  of  the  pretty  girls  near  him. 

"  "What  generosity !  he's  a  prince  of  a  fellow ! "  gobbled  a  fat  tea-taster,  who  had 
shouted  himself  hoarse  in  his  attempt  to  render  proper  respect  to  his  dear  friend  Puffeigh. 
"  By  Jove !  old  boy,  you're  a  brick.  Gad  you  are,  you  know." 

The  captain  heard  all  these  observations  with  the  greatest  composure.  The  rum  was 
the  property  of  the  government,  and  did  not  cost  him  a  penny,  and  the  remains  of  the 
supper  were  not  his.  Ergo,  he  could  well  afford  to  be  generous.  The  crew  fell  upon  the 
remnants  of  the  feast,  and  soon  made  a  clearance  of  the  same. 

It  was  nearly  daybreak  before  the  ball  was  over,  and  the  guests  bade  their  entertain- 
ers a  cordial  farewell,  and  made  the  best  of  their  way  on  shore. 

The  "  Hong-Kong  Gong  "  thus  commented  upon  the  affair : — 

"  The  Ball  given  last  night  on  board  H.  M.  S.  Stinger  went  off  with  great  eclat.  "We 
there  heard  announced  the  agreeable  intelligence  that  Commander  Puffeigh  and  Lieuten- 
ant Crushe  go  home  by  return  steamer, — the  former  posted,  the  latter  promoted  to  com- 
mander. Deservedly  high  as  is  the  character  borne  by  her  Majesty's  naval  officers,  it  is 
seldom  that  even  in  their  ranks  we  find  a  commander  so  thoroughly  worthy  of  all  the 
encomiums  paid  to  his  class,  and  it  is  with  unaffected  sincerity  and  feelings  of  deep  ap- 
preciation that  we  speak  of  Captain  Puffeigh  as  the  true  type  of  a  British  naval  officer. 
A  lion  before  his  country's  foes,  he  shines  in  peace  as  the  accomplished  and  highly-edu- 
cated gentleman, — a  man  whose  qualities  endear  him  to  his  friends,  the  soul  of  the  fes- 
tive gathering,  and  adored  as  a  father  by  his  men,  who  worship  his  heroism.  To  resume, 
•we  say  that  as  a  man  and  an  officer,  he  sheds  fresh  lustre  on  the  service  he  adorns,  and 
of  which  our  country  is  so  justly  proud.  All  that  we  have  above  said  is  applicable  to 
Commander  Crushe,  and  we  associate  .them  in  our  warmest  wishes  for  their  unfailin°- 
prosperity.'* 

By  dint  of  pumping  salt  water  over  and  into  the  most  obstinate  cases,  those  of  the 
crew  who  had  indulged  too  freely  were  at  length  sobered  enough  to  get  their  breakfast. 
Puffeigh  was  all  fuss  and  worry  getting  ready  to  leave  the  ship,  and  Crushe  certainly 
did  not  wish  to  lose  the  chance  of  going  by  the  next  steamer.  About  2  P.  M.  the  new 
commander,  Captain  Paul  Woodward,  arrived,  and  with  him  his  first  lieutenant, 
Lovell  Russell.  The  new  captain  read  his  commission,  looked  at  the  men,  some  of  whom 
presented  rather  a  sleepy  appearance,  and  then  proceeded  to  arrange  the  transfer  with 
Puffeigh.  Crushe  pointed  out  his  good  men  to  Lieutenant  Russell,  who  glanced  at  them 
and  remarked,  "  Although  in  point  of  fact  they  may  be  men  whose  acquaintance  would 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      103 

be  an  infinite  acquisition,  yet  their  first  appearance  is  calculated  to  convey  anything  but 
an  agreeable  impression." 

When  the  official  business  was  transacted  between  the  commanders  PufFeigh  observed, 
"Now  about  private  stores." 

"  Let  our  stewards  arrange  that," 

"  I  haven't  one,  Woodward.  Ah  ! — that  is — aw! — I  am  without  one  now.  Only  a 
boy." 

"  Well,  let  him^ive  up  your  stores,  Puffeigh ;  we  can't  be  bored  with  those  things, 
you  know." 

At  last  it  was  agreed  to  take  the  stock  as  it  stood  upon'Puffeigh's  books,  so 
the  unsuspecting  Woodward  paid  not  only  for  good  stores  and  whole  bottles 
of  wine,  but  also  for  the  damaged  goods  and  broken  bottles  with  which  the  storeroom 
was  well  furnished.  Woodward  was  no  mean  spirit,  but  a  generous,  noble  fellow,  who 
believed  all  the  world  as  good  and  honourable  as  himself,  so  he  gave  the  griping  old 
captain  a  draft  upon  his  agent  for  the  full  value  of  his  private  stores,  and  then  called 
for  wine  with  which  to  entertain  his  officers  and  visitors. 

Master  Jordun  was  in  despair,  and  wanted'to  know  "  if  he  were  going  to  be  kidded 
hout  ov  a  situvation  in  that  ere  manner  ?  "  Upon  this  Puffeigh  sent  for  the  surgeon, 
who  out  of  pity  for  the  lad  invalided  him  home  in  the  same  ship  as  his  master. 
William  looked  anything  but  an  invalid ;  but  knowing  that  his  wound  troubled  him  at 
times,  and  that  his  life  was  not  destined  to  be  a  long  one  if  he  remained  in  China,  the 
kindly  doctor  stretched  a  point,  and  assisted  by  another  equally  good  fellow,  packed 
him  off. 

At  length  the  homeward  bound  P.  and  0.  Steamer  came  into  harbour,  and  the  crew 
was  mustered  to  say  farewell  to  their  late  commander.  Puffeigh,  who  had  imbibed 
pretty  freely,  was  in  full  uniform  ;  and  when  the  men  went  aft  he  uncovered  his  "head, 
and,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  thus  addressed  them : — 

"  My  lads  (here  a  tear  trickled  down  his  left  cheek),  I  am  leaving  you  for  ever — 
most  likely  for  ever — but  I  am — I  am  (another  tear,  this  time  upon  his  right  cheek) 
sorry  I  am  going.  I  took  charge  of  you  when  you  were  a  pretty  rough  lot  (sobbing), 
but  I  leave  you  a  fine,  happy  set  of  fellows  (more  sobs),  (rod  bless  you,  my  lads. 
We've  been  through  danger  together  (more  tears),  and  I've  led  you  to  victory. 
Now  we  are  to  part.  It  is  the  will  of  our  Queen  (bowing  reverently).  She  ap- 
proves of  your  actions,  my  actions,  and  the  actions  of  Lieutenant  Crushe  (more 
tears).  All  I  can  say  is  that  we  must  part.  We  shall  probably  never  meet  again 
on  earth  (with  great  emotion),  but  we  may  meet  in  heaven.  My  lads,  you  know 
what  it  is  to  obey.  I've  been  a  father  to  you.  I  have  not  spared  the  rod;  but 
look  at  you,  how  happy  you  have  been  (more  tears).  Obey  others,  for  my  sake, 
and  in  you  prayers  remember  the  old  captain  who  tried  his  best  to  make  your 
service  under  him  a — hap — py  one — God — bless  you  (more  emotion  and  undulation 
of  waistcoat).  Good-bye,  my  gallant  lads." 

Saying  which  the  old  hypocrite  shook  hands  with  the  biggest  scoundrels  among 
the  crew,  and  descended  to  his  boat.  As  he  left  the  ship  the  sailors  manned  the 
rigging,  by  order  of  their  new  commander. 

"  Now,  my  lads,  three  cheers  for  your  old  captain.' 

Puffeigh  was  standing  up  in  his  gig,  ready  to  receive  the  honour, — head  uncovered, 
and  eyes  sparkling  with  success, — but  not  a  sound  came  from  the  crew ;  true,  the  boat- 
swain and  officers  commenced,  but  they  broke  down  upon  finding  the  men  were  silent. 

"  Come,  my  lads — Hip-hip,"  urged  the  generous  Woodward. 

At  this  moment  a  tremendous  groan  burst  from  the  men  ;  this  they  repeated  twice, 


104:  BLUE    JACKETS  ;     OK,    THE    ADVENTURES    OF' 

then  scrambled  down  from  aloft,  and  went  aft  upon  the  quarter-deck,  where  stood 
their  new  commander,  quite  horror-stricken,  at  their  proceedings. 

"  My  lads,  this  is  shameful  conduct !  " 

"  Captain  Woodward,"  observed  a  smart  topman,  "  Captain  Puffeigh  flogged  and 
treated  us  like  dogs  ;  we  can't  cheer  him." 

"  Boatswain,  pipe  man  the  rigging,  and  give  three  cheers,"  firmly  directed  the  com- 
mander, as  if  he  had  not  heard  the  speech. 

This  decisive  conduct  brought  the  crew  to  their  senses.  Up  they  sprang  into  the 
rigging,  and  soon  three  cheers  rang  out  upon  the  breeze. 

Puffeigh,  who  was  now  some  distance  from"  the  Stinger,  stopped  his  boat ;  then, 
rising,  bowed  towards  the  ship,  and  cursed  the  crew  as  mutinous  hounds,  of  whom  he 
was  well  quit.  After  that  he  resumed  his  seat,  and  soon  reached  the  P.  and  0.  Steamer, 
•where  he  was  received  like  any  ordinary  passenger. 

Crushe  heard  how  Puffeigh  was  treated,  and  knowing  the  crew  hated  him  even 
more  than  they  did  their  late  commander,  deemed  it  advisable  to  lea,ve  in  a  very  quiet 
manner,  so  he  hurried  over  the  side  without  saying  good-bye  to  any  one  ;  and  as  few 
of  the  officers  cared,  even  for  appearance'  sake,  to  shake  hands  with  him,  it  was  a 
matter  of  congratulation  among  them  when  they  found  he  was  gone. 

Boy  Jordun  received  all  the  honours,  being  sent  in  the  pinnace  with  the  baggage. 
All  the  crew  and  marines  shook  hands  with  him,  and  he  was  literally  laden  with  pre- 
sents. Just  as  he  left  the  gangway  a  quarter-master  came  to  him  to  say  the  captain 
wanted  him.  "William  went  aft  and  saluted  "Woodward,  who  thereupon  gave  him  a 
little  advice  n.nd  a  five-shilling-piece  for  the  assistance  he  had  given  his  steward  in 
taking  an  inventory  of  the  furniture,  &c.,  purchased  by  him  of  the  lute  captain. 
Jordun  looked  at  the  money  and  then  at  the  captain,  and  with  a  bow  observed,  "  I 
saved  yer  from  being  done  on  the  gear,  sir,  but  you  will  find  a  hawf  ul  lot  of  duffers 
among  the  bottles." 

Woodward,  who  did  not  exactly  understand  the  purport  of  the  boy's  speech,  upon 
this  patted  him  upon  the  shoulder,  told  him  to  be  a  good  boy,  and  dismissed  him. 
When  the  pinnace  left  the  ship's  side  a  ringing  cheer  burst  from  the  crew,  three  times 
three  and  one  over  being  roared  forth  with  all  the  force  of  their  powerful  lungs. 

"  Good-bye,- young  Bill " — "  Good-bye,  chummy  " — "  Good  luck  to  ye." 

William  Jordun  stood  up  in  the  boat,  gave  three  cheers  by  way  of  reply,  and — then 
blubbered. 

"  Mind  you  don't  forget  the  parcel ! "  shouted  a  voice  loud  and  clear  above  the 
babel  on  board. 

"  You  may  take  your  half adavit  I  won't,"  murmured  the  boy  as  he  drew  his  cuff 
across  his  eyes,  and  composed  his  mind  to  go  on  board  the  steamer. 

The  Lota  had  the  blue  peter  flying,  and  was  nearly  ready  to  slip  from  her  moorings 
when  the  pinnace  went  alongside,  and  Jordun  soon  found  himself  rid  of  his  charge  as 
far  as  baggage  was  concerned.  After  a  search  he  found  Puffeigh's  cabin,  where  he 
delivered  sundry  small  articles. 

The  P.  and  O.  steamer  was  splendidly  found,  excellently  manned,  and  well 
commanded.  Wonderful  to  tell,  they  did  not  flog  their  crew  or  treat  them  like 
animals ;  yet,  notwithstanding  this,  they  managed  to  keep  them  in  a  very  complete 
state  of  discipline,  so  good  that  it  puzzled  Puffeigh.  However,  as  he  despised  anything 
that  savoured  of  the  merchant  service,  he  held  his  tongue  and  accepted  the  hospitality 
of  the  commander,  as  homage  to  his  superior  rank,  whereupon  Captain  Turner,  who 
never  toadied  a  man  in  his  life,  quietly  cut  him,  and  confined  his  civility  to  wishing 
him  good  morning  when  going  his  rounds. 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG-  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."     105 

As  they  left  the  harbour,  dinner  was  announced ;  and  Captain  Turner  being 
engaged  on  deck,  Puffeigh  assumed  his  place  at  the  head  of  the  table,  a  very  inquisitive 
lady,  who  was  placed  in  his  charge  by  her  husband,  being  seated  upon  his  right ;  the 
boy  Jordun  standing  by,  having  been  directed  to  wait  upon  her,  as  a  sort  of  extra 
attendant.  Dinner  was  nearly  over,  and  Puffeigh  well  warmed  with  sherry,  when  a 
steward  pointed  to  a  long  parcel  which  was  laid  upon  the  glass-rack  overhead,  and 
asked  the  captain  if  he  knew  it  was  there. 

"  What  is  it  ?  '* 

"  Don't  know,  sir,"  said  the  head  steward.  "  It  was  brought  on  board  for  you  just 
as  the  ship  turned  ahead." 

"  Hand  it  down." 

The  parcel  was  reached  from  the  rack  and  placed  upon  the  table,  and  the  lady  read 
the  address,  which  ran  as  follows : — 

"  The  Honourable  CAPTAIN  PUFFEIGH, 

Late  Commander  of 

H.  M.  S.  Stinger. 
"Fruit,  with  care." 

"  What  can  it  be  ?  "  said  the  lady. 

"  Who  sent  it  ?  "  queried  Crushe,  who  was  seated  on  the  captain's  left. 

"  Who  received  it  ?  "  demanded  Puffeigh. 

"  I  did  sir,"  replied  the  head  steward  ;  "  it  was  brought  by  a  sampan-man." 

"  Let  the  steward  open  it,"  observed  Crushe. 

"  He  will  change  it  for  some  horrid  ship's  fruit  if  he  does,"  whispered  the  suspicious 
Puffeigh.  "  Jordun,  open  the  parcel,  and  let  us  see  what  it  contains." 

The  captain's  loud  voice  and  arrogant  manner  had  caused  many  of  the  passengers  to 
leave  their  seats,  and  Jordun's  proceedings  were  closely  watched  by  all  present.  Upon 
removing  the  brown  paper  cover  a  box  was  exposed,  and  the  lid  of  this  being  lifted, 
master  William  drew  forth  a  cat-of-nine-tails,  the  thongs  of  which  had  been  painted 
vermilion  to  simulate  blood-stains.  The  boy  gaped  at  it  with  horror  depicted  upon  his 
face,  then  suddenly  dropped  the  weapon,  when  from  it  fell  a  paper  which  one  of  the 
by-standers  officiously  picked  up,  and  read  aloud  as  follows : — 

"To  Captain  Puffeigh  and  Commander  Crushe,  in  rememorance  of  their  cruel 
treatment  towards  their  men.  The  lash  for  the  commander,  the  handle  for  the 
captain." 

Puffeigh  gasped  with  rage,  then  turned  towards  Crushe,  but  found  his  place  vacant, 
upon  which  he  beat  a  retreat  to  his  cabin  and  sent  for  boy  Jordun,  but  master  William 
returned  a  message  to  say  that  "  he  was  an  invalid,  and  not  able  to  wait  upon  him  any 
more  "  The  passengers  got,  hold  of  the  lad,  who  gave  them  full  information  as  to  the 
cruelties  practised  on  board  the  Stinger,  and  some  of  them  wrote  long  letters,  which 
they  swore  they  would  send  to  the  Times.  It  is  probable  that  the  indignant  civilians 
forgot  to  forward  their  epistles,  as  none  of  them  were  published.  Puffeigh  and  Crushe 
were  cut  by  all  their  fellow  passengers,  but  they  consoled  themselves  with  thinking 
how  immeasurably  superior  they  were  to  such  fellows  as  merchants  and  China  traders, 
and  were  quite  contented  with  each  other's  society. 

Upon  arrival  at  Southampton,  Puffeigh  found  his  wife,  and  was  soon  on  his  way  to 
his  home  Crushe  went  to  his  aunt  for  a  month,  then  proceeded  to  see  his  wife,  who 
loved  him  in  spite  of  his  cruelty  and  neglect.  He  had  not  been  there  many  weeks 


106  BLUE   JACKETS  J    OR,    THE    ADVENTURES    OF 

before  he  received  orders  to  proceed  to  the  Pacific,  -where  he  was  hated  by  nearly  all 
under  his  command. 

William  Jordun  steered  straight  for  his  father's  inn,  and  arrived  at  it  one  day  just 
as  the  family  were  sitting  down  to  dinner.  He  walked  in,  put  down  his  bundle,  called 
for  a  pint  of  beer,  and  drank  "  all  their  jolly  good  healths,"  before  any  one  made  out 
•who  he  was.  However,  his  mother  recognized  his  voice,  and  flying  towards  him, 
hugged  him  to  her  bosom,  crying,  "  My  own  kinchin  Billy — my  dear  little  kid." 

Mr.  Jordun,  who  had  seated  himself  before  a  huge  lump  of  boiled  beef,  upon  hearing 
this  started  up,  and  with  a  very  large  oath  snatched  the  boy  from  his  mother's  embrace, 
and  hugged  him  no  less  frantically. 

"  What,  my  bo'  Bill — my  littleestkid  come  home  agin — Lord  bless  you,  my  boy.  I'm 
so  glad  to  see  you." 

When  the  heads  of  the  family  had  done  with  him,  William  was  condescending 
enough  to  allow  the  women-folks  and  customers  to  welcome  him.  After  they  had  finished 
the  lad  took  a  seat  between  his  father  and  mother,  and  fell-to  at  the  food,  between  the 
mouthfuls  relating  his  adventures.  His  parents  were  deeply  interested  in  his  recital, 
and  when  he  concluded  his  meal,  a  pipe  was  filled  by  his  mother  and  handed  to  him, 
and  he  shared  his  father's  gin  and  water  as  he  proceeded  with  his  story.  When  he 
informed  them  that  he  had  been  left  all  Old  Jemmy's  prize  money  and  pay,  which  would 
amount  together  with  his  own  to  about  thirty  pounds,  his  father  observed  that  it  must 
be  put  in  the  Savings  Bank  for  him. 

"  I  knows  a  better  game  nor  that,  dad." 

"  What  is  it,  bo'  ?  " 

"  Vy,  lay  it  out  in  a  skittul  alley,  and  put  over  the  gangway,  Bill  Jordun  and 
Son." 

Upon  hearing  this  observation  the  man  laid  down  his  pipe,  shook  hands  solemnly 
with  his  son,  and  declared,  "  that  it  was  a  bargain." 

That  is  why  the  sign  of  the  Blue  Posts  at  Portsea  came  to  run  as  follows : — 

WILLIAM  JORDUN  AND  SON  (WM.), 

LICENSED    TO   SELL 

BEER 

TO  BE   DRUNK  ON  THE  PREMISES. 
N.B.     A  good  dry  skittle  alley. 

And  here  we  take  our  leave  of  master  William  Jordun,  being  unable  to  give  our 
readers  any  further  information  concerning  that  undaunted  youth. 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B..    AMONG    "  THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE."  107 


CHAPTER  XV. 

"WHEN  Thompson  saw  the  main  body  of  the  bannermen  riding  over  the  sand  ridge 
he  knew  it  was  useless  to  resist,  so  he  quietly  awaited  his  fate.  After  surrounding 
him,  one  of  their  number  grasped  the  sailor  by  the  collar  and  attempted  to  lift  him  off 
the  ground,  upon  which  Jerry  clambered  up  and  seated  himself  behind  his  captor. 
Having  secured  the  dead  body  of  their  companion,  the  party  set  spurs  to  their  horses, 
and  were  soon  out  of  the  captain's  sight.  Puffeigh  knew  it  would  be  useless  to  fire  at 
them,  as  such  a  proceeding  would  only  make  matters  worse  for  the  prisoner.  When 
they  had  proceeded  about  a  mile  they  threw  the  dead  body  into  a  field,  then  dismounting 
and  placing  Thompson  in  the  centra  of  the  group,  squatted  round  him,  lighted  their 
pipes,  and  held  a  council  of  war. 

"  This  barbarian  looks  like  a  western  devil  to  me,"  observed  their  leader.  "  I  am 
uncertain  whether  to  kill  him  now,  or  to  take  him  to  the  military  governor." 

"  If  we  slay  him  at  once  we  shall  be  sure  of  his  body,"  put  in  a  squint-eyed  banner- 
man.  "  These  western  devils  are  all  necromancers, — here  this  moment,  when — -pouf — 
you  look,  and  they  have  vanished.  I  vote  we  kill  him  by  degrees.  We  need  not  return 
until  sunset, — then  dismember  him,  leave  his  body  as  an  offering  to  the,  Kiang-shi,  who 
walk  at  night,  and  take  his  head  to  the  governor." 

"  That's  like  you,  Kwo,  always  jumping  at  ideas.  Why,  do  you  think  we  are  little 
fools  to  indulge  in  torturing  this  devil  ?  What  will  our  rulers  say  if  they  do  not 
witness  his  death  struggles  ?  " 

"  Bah !  you  know  everything,  Ting.  But  listen !  Here  is  a  foreign  devil,  calm, 
unmoved,  and  as  resigned  to  his  fate  as  one  of  the  most  favoured  nation.  If  we  take 
him  in,  the  people  will  say,  '  Where  is  the  tiger  ? '  and  lo,  you  will  show  this  lamb, 
when  they  will  jeer  at  us,  and  insult  our  bravery.  'What,'  they  will  cry, 
'  thirty  braves,  and  only  this  mouse  captured ! '  See  !  if  we  carry  in  his  head,  a  large 
reward  will  be  paid  us,  and  we  can  lie  as  much  as  we  like  as  to  the  manner  of  his  cap- 
ture. My  plan  is  all  benefit."  Saying  which  Kwo  rose,  and,  in  order  to  show  his 
contempt  for  Jerry,  slapped  the  latter  across  the  face,  crying,  "  Ha,  dog  !  ha,  coward  ! " 
and  was  at  once  knocked  over  by  the  sailor,  who  remarked,  "  Come,  stow  that  little 
game,"  and  then  resumed  his  squatting  position. 

As  Kwo  was  by  no  means  a  favourite  in  his  corps,  they  only  laughed  at  his  mishap, 
and  did  not  attempt  to  punish  their  prisoner  for  his  audacity. 

These  bannermen  are  not  regular  troops,  but  a  sort  of  volunteer  corps,  who  are  order- 
ed out  for  drill  four  times  a  year.  They  are  drawn  from  the  shopkeeper  class  of  citizens, 
and  this  service  entitles  them  to  many  privileges.  When  called  upon  during  a  war, 
they  are  employed  in  defending  their  native  towns.  Upon  some  occasions  they  have 
fought  bravely,  and  in  many  parts  of  China  monuments  are  erected  to  commemo- 
rate the  prowess  of  gallant  bannermen.  However,  as  a  rule  they  are  very  timorous 
soldiers,  and  not  much  depended  upon  by  the  military  governors.  Some  of  the  northern 
bannermen  are  mounted  upon  Tartar  ponies,  while  in  the  southern  provinces  they  are 
foot  soldiers.  Their  weapons  consist  of  bows  and  arrows,  spears,  Jmives,  and  tridents. 
Firearms  are  of  course  known  to  them,  but  a  wise  and  benevolent  government  has  pru- 


108  BLUE    JACKETS  J    OK,    THE    ADVENTURES    OF 

dently  ordained  that  "  only  in  exceptional  oases  shall  they  be  armed  with  such  dangerous 
engines." 

The  party  who  had  captured  Thompson  had,  upon  the  preceding  day,  been  to  a  grand 
review  of  the  bannermen  of  the  Eleven  districts,  and  as  most  of  their  number  had  friends 
in  the  city  near  which  the  review  took  place,  it  was  determined  that  they  should  not  re- 
turn to  their  native  town  until  daylight  the  next  morning.  They -had  bidden  their 
hospitable  entertainers  farewell  at  sunrise,  and  being  brave  with  wine  when  they  sighted 
Puffeigh  and  his  companions,  and  thinking  they  were  a  party  of  southern  merchants  who 
travel  about  those  parts  with  Chinese  trinkets,  the  bannermen  laid  their  heads  together, 
and  determined  to  attack  and  rob  them,  it  being  a  custom  of  the  volunteers,  when  upon 
what  they  called  active  service,  to  behave  like  the  regular  troops  of  his  Highness  and 
Mightiness  the  Father  and  Mother  of  the  Empire,  who  were  never  known  to  leave  a  sa- 
peck  in  the  pouch  of  any  unfortunate  wayfarer  they  chanced  to  fall  in  with  during  a 
march.  Great  was  their  astonishment  upon  finding  they  had  fallen  across  some  West- 
ern devils ;  and  when  they  succeeded  in  capturing  one  of  the  party  they  felt  as  brave  as 
lions,  and  quite  as  eager  to  see  blood. 

After  much  discussion,  the  leader  of  the  party,  a  tailor  by  profession,  named  Choo-Too, 
the  combined  words  forming  also  a  nickname  which  might  be  translated  "  pig-stomached," 
commanded  silence,  and  thus  addressed  his  fellows, — "  My  honourable  persons,  will  you 
with  reverence  hear  the  words  of  this  little  one  ?  I,  Choo,  had  this  morning  a  dream,  in 
which  I  saw  Kwan-ti,  the  god  of  war,  sitting  on  a  cloud  which  smelt  of  gunpowder. 
Abject,  I  grovelled  in  the  dust,  as  I  (in  my  own  mind)  never  before  believed  in  Kwan-ti. 
Then  crackers  exploded  and  gingalls  discharged  all  around  him,  after  which  he  spake  as 
follows : — '  Choo,  arise,  and  get  thee  to  the  sea-shore,  you  and  all  your  company,  there 
ye  will  meet  with  fortune,  and  capture  a  devil,  fear  him  not,  he  will  be  harmless,  but 
watch  well  that  he  escape  not,  or  woe  be  to  ye  all.'  " 

At  this  moment  his  speech  was  interrupted  by  the  prisoner  requesting  "one  of  the 
old  ladies  to  hand  him  a  chaw  of  baccy." 

Choo  frowned  upon  the  undaunted  one,  and  thus  continued : — "  This  little  one  then 
swooned,  and  so  remained  until  found  by  you,  my  honourable  friends." 

"  "Wonderful !  wonderful ! "  exclaimed  the  other  bannermen,  but  added  aside  to  each 
other,  "  Why,  we  imagined  Choo-Too  was  drunk." 

"  Now,  my  honourable  friends,  I  think  it  better  we  secure  this  malignant  western 
devil,  and  take  him  to  our  native  town.  None  of  the  regular  troops,  with  all  their  brave- 
ry, have  ever  been  able  to  catch  sight  of  one  of  these  creatures,  much  less  capture  it  alive, 
so  we  will  gain  honour  and  perhaps  a  reward,  if  we  take  him  to  the  military  governor, 
or  even  give  him  up  to  our  own  mayor,  who  will  probably  pay  us  for  such  a  curiosity." 

"  But  why  not  torture  him  a  little  now  ?  "  observed  a  weasel-faced  dealer  in  bean- 
curd. 

"  No,  no  !  "  cried  the  majority.  "  Let  us  take  him  to  Sse-tsein  ;  he  will  then  be 
properly  tortured,  and  we  shall  be  able  to  show  our  valour  before  our  honourable 
parents." 

Thompson  tapped  the  last  speaker  upon  the  shoulder,  and  quietly  observed,  "  Well 
done,  old  man ;  I  don't  know  your  lingo,  but  if  you're  going  to  skin  me  alive  give  ua  a 
chaw  of  baccy ;  "  saying  this  he  pointed  to  the  tobacco-pouch  suspended  from  the 
soldier's  girdle,  and  which  the  Tartar  handed  him,  whereupon  the  sailor  took  a  pinch, 
and  gravely  placed  it  in  his  mouth,  then  closed  the  bag,  and  returned  it  to  him,  wink- 
ing as  he  did  so  in  such  a  sly  manner,  that  the  whole  party  roared  with  laughter. 

"  He  eats  tobacco' !  he  eats  tobacco  !  "  they  cried. 


,T.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."     109 

Before  they  re-mounted  Choo  made  another  speech,  in  which  he  instructed  his  men 
what  to  say  concerning  the  capture  of  the  sailor. 

"  My  honourable  friends  must  all  speak  thus,  even  if  put  to  torture.  We  were 
returning  from  Hong-loo,  when  suddenly  a  body  of  at  least  five  hundred  western  devils 
opposed  us,  and  commenced  an  attack  upon  our  party.  We,  with  swelling  breasts 
dilated  with  over-bravery,  eyes  flashing  like  the  hands  and  feet  of  Luepo,  with  head- 
long prowess  spurring  our  steeds  to  the  death,  in  hopes  to  salute  heaven  in  doing  such 
bravery,  we,  a  handful,  rushed  upon  our  foes,  and  killed  them  all  but  about  a  dozen, 
who  fled  in  a  small  boat.  Suy-peh  (old  Suy),  whose  hands  have  become  palsied  by  age 
and  breeches  making,  first  seized  the  demon  we  have  captured,  but  it  took  the  whole 
of  us  to  secure  him.  Mo-tim  was  killed — we  left  his  body  upon  the  field,  after  having 
carried  it  out  of  the  reach  of  the  retreating  barbarians ;  and  as  he  was  killed  in  action, 
the  owner  of  the  land  will  be  able  to  bury  him  at  his  own  expense,  without  inquiry, 
which  will  be  a  saving,  as  otherwise  a  dead  body  would  be  a  bad  present  for  him." 

"  Stop  ! "  cried  Suy-peh,  "  your  words  are  golden,  yet  vain  ones.  Do  you  think,  my 
illustrious  friends,  that  Chung-sung,  our  learned  mayor,  will  believe  such  shallow  lies  ? 
He  will  ask,  '  Where  is  the  blood  upon  your  garments  ?  where  your  wounds  ?  where 
the  dead  bodies  or  even  heads  of  those  western  devils  you  have  slain  ?  '  Tell  the  truth, 
and  you  will  gain  all  credit,  and  be  considered  great  warriors  enough,  without  each  of 
us  endeavouring  to  get  by  memory  the  bombastic  speech  of  Choo-Too.  I  think  he 
might  have  invented  something  better,  and,  for  my  part,  I  don't  believe  a  word  about 
his  vision.  I'm  too  old  to  be  cheated  in  that  manner." 

"  Suy-peh,  you're  a  breeches-mending  old  fool !  " 

"  Choo,  you  are  well  named  Choo-Too.     I  spit  at  you." 

Probably  a  fight  wotild  have  ensued,  but  the  friends  of  the  parties  separated  them, 
and  having  taken  Jerry  up  behind  him,  Choo  scowled  at  Suy-peh  (who  made  a  face  at 
him  by  way  of  retort),  and  then  gave  the  order  to  march. 

Thompson  stuck  to  the  tailor,  who  was  not  a  good  horseman  ;  but  the  sailor  hung 
on  to  the  animal  as  well,  and  in  this  manner  got  along  very  nicely,  until  they  arrived 
at  the  suburbs  of  the  town,  where  the  party  dismounted  and  par  took,  of  hot  rice  spirit. 
This  increased  their  valour  to  such  a  degree,  that  they  treated  their  prisoner  to  sundry 
kicks  and  cuffs,  to  show  their  friends  how  they  had  tamed  the  fofeign  devil.  Upon 
remounting  they  placed  him  on  a  miserable  scarecrow  of  a  horse,  borrowed  from  the 
landlord*of  the  inn,  and  proceeded  towards  the  town  gates,  stopping  every  few  yards 
to  tell  their  story,  and  enable  the  women  and  children  to  pelt  the  prisoner  with  mud, 
filth,  or  stones,  or  spit  upon  him,  as  their  playful  fancy  dictated. 

Poor  Jerry  experienced  some  very  rough  treatment,  but  never  for  a  moment 
lost  his  pluck.  When  a  heavier  stone  than  usual  was  thrown  at  him,  he  would 
turn  round  and  cry,  "Come,  missis,  stash  it;"  but  otherwise  he  took  the. proceed- 
ings as  part  of  the  rites  upon  such  occasions,  and  when  a  pretty  girl  abused  him, 
would  reply  in  a  most  admiring  strain.  As  they  neared  the  gates  they  fell  in  with 
a  party  of  women  headed  by  the  wife  of  the  bannerman  who  had  been  killed  by 
the  master.  The  woman  was  supported  by  her  sons,  who  did  not  seem  to  be  much 
concerned  about  their  father's  fate,  as  they  laughed  and  chatted  with  the  crowd ; 
this  was  strange,  as  the  Chinese  always  profess  to  venerate  their  parents  in  the 
highest  degree. 

After  Choo  had  spoken  his  piece,  to  which  the  widow  listened  with  the  deepest 
attention,  she  advanced  to  the  prisoner,  and  raising  her  voice  to  a  shrill  falsetto,  thus 
addressed  him,  "  Oh  ! ! !  you  Iwan  Iwan  (mean-looking.)  fuh-hwy  (reptile),  wo  yaou  ne 
teih  naow  kae  (I  want  your  skull)."  Then  she  proceeded  with  increased  volubility  to 


110  BLUE   JACKETS  J    OK,    THE    ADVENTUKES    OF 

abuse  his  father,  who  she  declared  was  hangman  to  the  devil,  and  his  mother,  who  she 
swore  was  anything  but  a  lady  ;  his  sisters  and  all  his  female  and  male  relations  were 
likewise  abused,  the  excited  widow  winding  up  with  the  following,  which  she  pourc-d 
forth  in  the  patois  of  her  district,  without  once  stopping  to  take  breath.  "  Ha  !  white- 
livered  bear-faced  red-nosed  blue-lipped  silk-haired  bull-eyed  pig-skin'd  blood-drinking 
hairy-headed  man-eating  woman-featured  foreign  devil — Ha  !  Haw  ! !  Hah  ! ! !  " 

"  Thankee,  mum,  ha !  ha ! — I  ses  too,  I  hopes  you're  well." 

Upon  this  the  widowed  one  ran  towards  him,  seized  him  by  the  right  leg  and  threw 
him  off  his  horse,  then  turned  and  fled.  Thompson  was  not  long  upon  the  ground, 
but  in  the  confusion  he  got  separated  from  the  bannermen,  who  had  to  fight  their  way 
towards  him,  as  the  crowd  wished  to  lynch  the  prisoner.  At  last,  however,  he  was 
rescued  from  their  clutches  and  carried  in  triumph  through  the  outer  gate  into  the 
guard-house,  where  the  regular  troops  took  charge  of  his  case ;  and  making  prisoners 
of  the  whole  party,  carried  them  to  the  ya-mun  of  the  military  commander,  a  Tartar  by 
the  name  of  Keong.  An  immense  crowd  followed  the  procession ;  and  when  they 
arrived,  the  great  gates  were  opened,  as  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  admit  the 
party  through  the  ordinary  entrance.  When  they  were  all  inside  the  court-yard  the 
guards  shut  the  gates,  and  refused  admission  to  the  curious.  The  prisoner  was  now 
secured  by  formidable-looking  chains  made  of  rod  iron,  each  link  being  about  a  foot  in 
length.  They  looked  very  strong,  but  Jerry  coolly  surveyed  them  and  inquired  of  the 
executioner  "  if  them  were  his  best  darbys."  As  the  man  of  blood  could  not  under- 
stand him,  he  contented  himself  by  scowling  at  the  western  devil,  who  laughed  at  him 
and  declared  "  he  was  the  rummiest  old  keove  he  had  met  with  since  he  landed." 

The  bannermen  were  seated  upon  the  flag-stones,  sm&king  their  pipes  and  drinking 
'  hot  spirit,  which  they  purchased  of  the  executioner.  Thompson  motioned  them  to 
give  him  a  drink,  upon  which  the  official  held  out  his  hand  for  the  sapecks.  Jerry 
seized  it,  and  gave  him  a  good  hearty  grip,  which  made  the  grim  one  dance  and  swear, 
much  to  the  amusement  of  the  volunteers.  However,  the  fellow  thought  it  best  to 
take  it  good-humouredly,  and  bringing  him  a  cup  of  the  spirit,  bade  him  drink.  After 
a  time  it  was  announced  that  the  bannermen  might  go  to  their  homes,  as  the  mandarin 
did  not  intend  investigating  the  matter  that  night,  he  being  too  far  gone  in  opium.  So 
having  given  in  their  names  to  the  scribe,  the  valiant  band  departed.  Thompson 
nodded  to  them,  and  observed  "  that  he  was  very  sorry  to  lose  their  cheerful  society," 
and  then  followed  the  executioner,  who,  seizing  his  chains,  pointed  to  a  low  doorway, 
and  motioned  him  to  go  before. 

They  passed  across  immense  court-yards  and  by  large  buildings,  many  of  which 
were  in  the  last  stage  of  decay,  and  at  length  emerged  into  the  open  air.  Jerry  looked 
about  him,  and  found  they  were  in  a  beautiful  garden,  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  high 
walls.  After  walking  for  some  moments  they  came  to  a  low  building  partly  sunk  in 
the  ground,  which  Thompson  correctly  imagined  to  be  a  magazine.  Having  skirted 
this  the  executioner  stopped,  unlocked  a  door,  and  motioning  the  prisoner  to  enter, 
proceeded  to  fasten  him  by  his  chains  to  a  staple  driven  in  the  wall.  This  done,  he 
drew  forth  a  cord,  and  placing  the  sailor's  hands  behind  his  back,  lashed  his  wrist-irons 
together  and  left  him.  When  the  sound  of  his  jailer's  footsteps  died  away,  Jerry 
quietly  slipped  off  the  iron  rings,  and  lighting  a  match  looked  round  his  cell,  which  he 
found  was  the  guard  house  of  the  magazine.  Seeing  a  lamp  near,  he  reached  it,  and 
having  lighted  it  proceeded  to  rid  himself  of  his  other  irons.  He  stopped  several  time?* 
to  ascertain  if  any  one  were  about,  but  finding  all  quiet,  resumed  his  occupation,  and 
in  a  short  time  freed  himself  of  his  encumbrances  ;  then  took  the  lamp,  and  made  a 
careful  examination  of  his  prison.  It  was  merely  the  outer  court  of  the  magazine,  and 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    £.,    AMONG    "THE    HEATHEN   CHINEE."  Ill 

before  him  he  found  the  door  leading  into  the  same,  the  only  fastening  of  which  was  a 
bolt.  It  appeared  to  him  that  the  keeper  of  the  place  usually  occupied  the  outer 
chamber,  as  he  found  a  leathern  chest  secured  by  a  curious  ark-shaped  brass  padlock, 
and  a  complete  suit  of  Tartar's  clothes. 

Knowing  how  small  his  chances  of  escape  were  if  he  did  not  attempt  to  get  away 
before  he  was  tortured,  he  determined  to  fire  the  magazine,  even  if  he  had  to  go  with 
it.  The  chest  he  coolly  cut  open,  and  found  in  it  one  silk  holiday  suit,  one  artificial 
queue,  two  common  suits,  one  cotton  helmet — an  article  much  worn  in  the  northern 
provinces — (it  is  like  a  cap  with  an  all-round  curtain  attached),  one  holiday  cap,  and 
about  600  cash  or  sapecks — small  brass  coins  pierced  with  a  square  hole,  and  strung 
upon  twine  for  convenience  of  carrying.  In  a  few  moments  he  divested  himself  of  his 
sailor's  attire,  and  was  dressed  in  one  of  the  ordinary  suits  of  clothes,  his  curly  hair 
being  concealed  under  the  cotton  helmet ;  then  making  the  other  garments  into  a  bundle 
— retaining  only  the  little  bag  containing  the  waist-ribbon  given  him  by  Mary  Ann,  his 
ring,  the  gift  of  Miss  Moore,  and  a  tin  box  of  lucifer  matches — he  secured  the  money 
to  his  girdle,  took  up  the  lump,  and  cautiously  entered  the  magazine.  Before  him  he 
saw  several  hundred  packages  of  joss-stick,  but  no  powder — the  place  was  large,  and 
partly  empty.  As  he  advanced,  the  rats  would  dart  out  of  his  way,  and  run  squeaking 
into  their  burrows  among  the  joss  stick.  He  was  about  to  give  up  his  search,  when  he 
spied  a  door,  and  having  drawn  the  bolt,  found  himself  in  a  vast  chamber,  which  had 
no  doubt  at  some  time  contained  an  immense  store  of  ammunition. 

"  Here's  a  place  to  perform  Ally  Barber !  Here's  jars  enow  for  forty  hundred 
thieves  !  "  he  cried,  as,  carefully  setting  down  his  lamp,  he  lifted  the  lid  of  one  of  the 
jars  and  found  it  was  empty.  Taking  up  his  light  he  cautiously  advanced  until  he 
saw  before  him  a  large  heap  of  powder,  which  had  evidently  been  emptied  for  some 
special  reason,  as  it  was  carefully  enclosed  with  boarding  so  that  none  of  it  touched  the 
floor.  Having  placed  his  lamp  in  a  safe  position,  he  proceeded  to  pull  down  the  end 
board,  and  to  make  a  train  towards  the  door.  This  was  the  work  of  a  few  seconds, 
and  when  he  had  ruu  it  across  the  joss  stick  compartment,  he  headed  it  by  heaping  up 
a  small  pile  of  powder  in  his  cell.  The  door  of  his  prison  proving  too  strong,  he  tried 
the  window,  through  which  he  found  he  could,  with  a  little  exertion,  manage  to  squeeze 
himself.  Upon  this  he  threw  out  his  bundle,  placed  two  long  pieces  of  well-lighted 
joss  stick  with  their  unburnt  ends  in  the  powder  piled  upon  the  floor  of  his  cell ;  then 
worked  himself  through  the  window  or  air  hole,  and  made  the  best  of  his  way  across 
the  garden  :  calculating  that  the  joss  stick  would  burn  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
and  by  that  time  he  would  be  out  of  uanger. 

He  walked  along  for  some  time  until  he  stumbled  over  something,  which  proved 
to  be  a  man,  round  whose  neck  was  fastened  a  cangue,  or  collar  of  wood.  The  poor 
wretch  groaned  when  he  felt  the  shock ;  and  as  the  sailor  soon  found  out  what  was 
the  matter,  he  proceeded  to  undo  the  fastenings.  The  man  at  first  resisted,  fearing  he 
would  be  punished,  but  finding  the  "  silent  one,"  as  he  dubbed  Thompson,  was  really 
a  friend,  he  let  him  go  on.  Having  released  him,  Jerry  gave  him  the  other  plain  suit  of 
clothes ;  and  when  he  was  dressed  in  it,  the  pair  made  their  way  towards  the  wall. 
Suddenly  they  saw  a  flash,  upon  which  the  sailor  threw  himself  upon  the  ground.  Up 
shot  a  light,  bang  went  a  report,  and  the  Imperial  magazine  of  Sse-tsein  was  blown 
into  atoms.  So  terrific  was  the  shock,  that  the  ya-mun  was  totally  destroyed,  the 
mandarin  and  a  great  number  of  his  household  killed,  and  the  walls  levelled  to  the 
ground.  Hundreds  of  prisoners  were  released,  and  these  ran  about  crying  to  their 
goda  to  help  them.  The  mandarin's  women  hobbled  about  and  wrung  their  hands, 


112  BLUE   JACKETS  ;    OB,    THE   ADTENTUKES    OF 

and    the    place    looked    like    an    ants'    nest    when    it    is    disturbed     by    the    kick 
of  a  passer  by. 

Thompson's  companion  cried,  and  called  upon  Buddha;  but  fin  ding  himself  unhurt, 
ceased  his  supplications,  and  motioning  his  companion  to  follow  him,  led  the  way  out 
of  the  place.  As  they  passed  over  the  heaps  of  ruins,  they  noticed  many  of  the  prisoners 
making  good  their  escape,  but  no  one  seemed  to  know  by  what  means  the  magazine  had 
been  fired,  and  Jerry  did  not  understand  what  they  were  taking  about,  and  had  he  done 
so,  would  not  have  enlightened  them.  After  threading  their  way  through  dense  crowds 
of  people  and  walking  for  some  time  in  comparatively  deserted  streets,  Mo,  that  being 
the  name  of  the  Chinaman  released  by  Thompson,  suddenly  motioned  his  benefactor  to 
stop,  then  walked  forward  and  left  him. 

"  He  ain't  agoin'  to  give  me  the  slip  now  we're  safe,"  muttered  the  sailor ;  however, 
in  a  few  moments  the  man  returned  and  signalled  him  to  follow,  when  he  found  the 
reason  for  the  caution  exercised  by  Mo.  They  had  to  pass  through  one  of  the  gates  of 
the  outer  wall,  and  as  at  night  the  guards  sometimes  stop  those  who  seek  egress,  the 
clever  Mo  had  gone  forward  to  ascertain  how  matters  stood,  and  to  his  joy  found  the 
place  deserted,  upon  which  they  passed  through  without  trouble,  Jerry  taking  the 
opportunity  of  acquiring  a  dirk,  which  was  hung  upon  a  nail  near  the  doorway.  Mo 
walked  on  until  they  arrived  at  a  canal,  when  he  began  to  peer  cautiously  at  the  various 
boats.  Having  proceeded  some  distance  along  the  bank,  he  at  last  made  out  the  craft 
he  required,  when  he  placed  his  fingers  in  his  mouth  and  blew  a  shrill  signal.  In  a  few 
moments  it  was  answered,  and  a  woman  launching  a  small  sampan,  sculled  towards  the 
spot  where  they  were  standing. 

"  Mo !  is  that  you,  my  lord  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  make  haste,  Jow !     I  have  one  with  me.     I  have  broken  from  prison, — Come ! " 

The  men  entered  the  crank  sampan  and  were  quickly  conveyed  on  board  a  cargo  boat ; 
and  as  there  was  a  little  breeze,  Mo  and  his  wife  pulled  up  the  anchor,  hoisted  sail,  got 
out  their  oars,  and  were  soon  on  their  way  down  the  canal.  Great  was  their  astonish- 
ment when,  upon  going  below,  they  discovered  their  friend  was  one  of  the  great  western 
devils,  but,  as  Mo  observed,  "  He  is  a  good  devil,  since  he  has  rescued  me  from  that 
infernal  prison,  let  us  therefore  chin-chin  him  (be  friendly,)  and  we  shall  be  fortunate, 
— besides,  he  will  assist  us  without  payment." 

Jow  saw  no  reason  why  they  should  not  ship  this  man  provided  he  kept  quiet,  and 
did  not  betray  them.  It  seems  that  upon  their  arrival  at  Sse-tsein  a  few  days  previous 
to  the  one  upon  which  the  sailor  was  captured,  Mo  had  landed  with  his  only  man  to 
receive  the  cash  for  some  salt  which  they  had  smuggled  on  shore  upon  a  previous  visit. 
The  person  to  whom  they  had  sold  it,  instead  of  paying  them  as  he  promised,  had^ 
informed  the  military  mandarin,  whereupon  the  latter  seized  Mo  and  his  man,  and 
threw  them  into  prison.  As  neither  of  them  would  give  the  name  and  number  of  their 
boat,  or  say  to  what  place  they  belonged,  the  mandarin  directed  them  to  be  beaten,  and 
condemned  the  principal,  Mo,  to  wear  the  cangue  until  such  time  as  he  should  confess 
his  crime,  when  probably  his  boat  would  be  seized,  his  wife  sold,  and  himself 
strangled. 

Mrs.  Mo,  or  rather  Jow,  was  very  pretty,  and  she  knew  it ;  so  did  her  husband,  who 
had  great  difficulty  in  obtaining  a  crew  who  did  not  want  to  make  love  to  her.  Now, 
he  thought  he  had  found  the  very  man,  so,  devil  or  no  devil,  he  made  up  his  mind  to 
ship  Jerry  as  second  mate  and  crew  combined.  He  told  his  wife  what  he  had  deter- 
mined, and  as  Jow  saw  that  the  devil  was  not  quite  as  ugly  as  he  had  been  painted  to 
her,  she  reluctantly  gave  her  consent,  the  truth  being  she  had  determined  never  to 
speak  well  of  the  crew  in  future. 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG     "THE    HEl'fHEN    CHINEE."  113 

Mo  shaved  Thompson's  head,  face,  and  eyebrows,  then  attached  the  artificial  queue 
they  had  brought  from  the  ya,-mun,  and  sent  him  on  deck  for  his  wife's  inspection. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  him  ?  " 

"  Ugly  beast !  frightful !  he  makes  me  tremble  !  "  cried  Jow  in  an  affected  voice, 
while  secretly  she  thought  she  had  never  seen  such  a  handsome  crew  in  her  life. 

Mo  treated  him  very  kindly  and  passed  him  off  as  a  dumb  man  from  Kwantung, 
and  Jerry  began  to  like  the  life  immensely.  Jow  was,  as  her  name  suggested,  a  soft 
fascinating  woman,  and  whenever  her  husband  was  away  would,  when  addressing  the 
crew,  relax  her  severe  expression  of  countenance,  and  before  he  had  been  shipped  a 
week,  they  were  desperately  in  love  with  each  other.  He  was  so  handsome,  so  daring, 
Bo  kind,  and  so  a  hundred  other  things,  while  poor  Mo,  who  was  an  excellent  fellow  ae 
Chinese  husbands  go,  was  (behind  his  back)  so  stupid,  so  cowardly,  so  ugly,  so  in-every- 
way-mean. Women  are  clever  in  finding  excuses  even  for  their  little  peccadilloes,  and 
Jow  was  as  smart  as  the  rest  of  her  charming  sex.  Being  a  Chinese  woman,  this  little 
weakness  must  be  forgiven  her,  remembering  she  was  almost  sold  to  one,  who,  like  all 
his  countrymen,  consider  women  to  be  mere  animals  created  to  minister  to  the  wants  of 
men  ;  therefore,  when  she  found  a  being  who  treated  her  kindly,  waited  on  her,  showed 
he  considered  her  his  equal,  ay  and  in  many  things  his  superior,  she  sinned  according 
to  our  ideas,  but  really  unconsciously  avenged  the  wrongs  of  her  sex ;  and  Mr.  Mo 
being  the  victim,  let  those  be  sorry  for  him  who  have  no  better  opinion  of  women  than 
he  had. 

The  Big  Dog,  that  being  the  name  of  the  boat,  discharged  her  cargo  at  Yungping, 
took  in  a  load  of  skins  for  the  southern  market,  and  proceeded  towards  the  Pei-ho. 
All  went  on  pleasantly,  and  Mo  began  to  teach  his  crew  Chinese,  and  when  that 
gentleman  was  absent,  Jow  continued  the  lesson,  so  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks  the 
sailor  became  quite  proficient ;  but  when  upon  duty  Jerry  was  scolded  and  frowned 
upon  by  the  lady  in  such  a  splendid  style,  that  Mo  would  brag  to  his  fellow  captains 
that  he  had  a  woman  who  was  as  women  go  priceless.  "  She  is  young,  she  is  beautiful, 
can  cook,  sing,  and  make  clothes.  Her  words  are  all  for  me  ;  she  is  my  wife,  my  slave, 
my  little  puppy ;  at  my  frown  she  quakes,  at  my  command  she  flies.  She  is  mine  in 
thought,  and  I  do  not  beat  her,  because  I  have  no  friends  to  be  edified  with  the 
punishment.  When  I  leave  her  she  takes  her  seat  by  the  rudder,  and  watches  for  my 
return ;  she  is  to  me  as  the  earth  is  to  the  potter, — I  mould  her  to  suit  my  taste  ;  fehe 
remains  as  I  form  her  ideas,  if  women  can  have  any  but  what  we  gods  give  them." 

Thus,  in  his  sublime  egotism,  would  Mr.  Mo  descant  upon  the  excellent  qualities  of 
Jow ;  while  all  the  time  Jerry  was  paying  the  most  gallant  attention  to  that  lady. 
True,  it  was  a  harmless  flirtation,  as  he  had  not  learnt  enough  of  the  Chinese  language 
to  enable  him  to  propose  an  elopement,  but  he  was  getting  on  very  rapidly,  and  in  six 
weeks,  by  the  time  they  arrived  at  Lin-tsin,  the  crew  made  up  his  mind,  come  what 
might,  he  would  run  away  with  the  fair  Jow,  boat  and  all.  Mo  discharged  his  cargo, 
loaded  his  boat  with  merchandise,  on  account  of  a  house  in  Ngan-tone,  and  upon  the 
first  "  lucky  day  "  the  Big  Dog  proceeded  down  the  Imperial  Canal,  and  in  due  time 
arrived  at  her  destination,  where  Mo  received  instructions  to  go  on  to  a  place  called 
Hong-hien,  on  the  borders  of  the  lake  Hong-tse. 

It  was  one  of  Mo's  fixed  principles  "  never  to  do  to-day  what  can  be  put  off  until 
to-morrow,"  so  when  he  hearu.  he  was  to  go  on  to  another  port,  he  determined  net  to 
start  until  he  had  enjoyed  a  run  on  shore.  Having  provided  himself  with  a  bag  of 
cash,  he,  after  bidding  his  wife  sit  up  for  him  until  he  chose  to  return,  proceeded  to  a 
noted  gambling-house,  where  he  played  cards  until  morning,  then  picking  up  his  weary 
frame,  walked  down  to  the  wharf,  when,  lo !  he  found  his  Big  Dog  was  gone. 


114  BLUE  JACKETS;   OR,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

Mo  sat  down  upon  a  pile,  and  uttered  the  following  lamentation,  which  soon  drew 
about  hiia  a  crowd  of  loafers  who  seemed  much  amused  with  his  outburst. 

"  Alas — unfortunate  I.  Last  night  I  left  my  boat  as  I  thought  safe.  Now,  in  my 
absence,  cruel,  relentless  thieves  have  seized  upon  her,  taken  my  boat,  and  have 
probably  killed  that  excellent  animal,  Jow.  Poor  beast,  how  she  will  miss  my  voice." 

Here  Mr.  Mo  was  interrupted  by  a  dirty-looking  boatman,  who  demanded,  "  how 
much  will  you  give  me  if  I  tell  you  where  your  craft  is  ?  " 

"  I'll  give  you  five  hundred  cash  if  you  will  take  me  to  her,"  excitedly  exclaimed 
Mo. 

"Well,"  replied  the  fellow,  "hand  over  the  sapecks,  and  I  will,  put  you  on  board 
in  a  few  hours.  Your  boat  is  at  Mung-shang,  she  couldn't  well  get  further  than 
that,  as  the  wind  changed  about  an  hour  ago,  and  it  will  probably  blow  so  for  two  or 
three  days  longer." 

Mo  paid  the  money  at  once,  and  pretending  not  to  hear  the  chaff  of  the  crowd, 
entered  his  friend's  boat,  and  proceeded  in  search  of  his  Big  Dog. 

Upon  the  departure  of  his  captain  for  the  gambling-house  Jerry,  assisted  by  Mrs. 
Jow,  got  the  boat  under  weigh,  and  ran  down  to  Mung-shang,  where  after  much  labour, 
they  contrived  to  anchor  the  craft.  It  was  quite  daylight  when  they  arrived  off  the 
town,  and  as  they  anchored  among  a  number  of  other  canal  boats,  which  had  arrived 
from  Ngan-tong  that  morning,  they  thought  themselves  pretty  secure. 

Having  got  off  safely  with  the  fair  Jow,  Jerry  proceeded  to  what  he  called  "  make 
an  honest  woman  of  her,"  and  after  endeavouring  to  explain  to  her  that  a  union  like 
hers  was  no  marriage,  he  "  asked  "  himself  three  times  in  English,  as  follows : — 

"  I  publish  the  banns  of  marriage,  between  Jerry  Thompson,  bachelor,  and  Missis 
Jow — ahem ! — Chinese  female.  If  any  of  you  fellers  (looking  across  at  some  people 
who  were  taking  their  breakfast  upon  the  deck  of  a  canal  boat  anchored  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  Big  Dog)  knows  any  just  cause  why  we  shouldn't  be  jined  in  the  bonds- 
of  matrimony,  just  sing  out." 

As  the  "fellers"  addressed  did  not  take  the  slighest  notice  of  his  appeal,  the  sailor 
took  Jow  by  the  hand,  pressed  a  ring  upon  her  finger,  and  a  kiss  upon  her  lips,  and,  as 
she  appeared  to  acquiesce  in  the  proceedings,  declared  they  were  properly  wedded,  and 
the  articles  signed. 

This  remarkably  concise  ceremony  being  concluded,  the  happy  pair  began  their 
honeymoon,  Jerry  by  descending  to  the  cabin,  where  he  poured  out  a  cup  of  Mo's 
choicest  samshoo,  in  which  to  drink  success  to  the  wedding,  while  Mrs.  J.  (Jow  or 
Jerry  according  to  taste,  the  initial  serving  for  both)  proceeded  to  prepare  breakfast  for 
her  new  lord.  Alas  !  that  such  a  simple  act  as  the  latter  should  prove  so  fatal  to  all 
their  dreams  of  future  happiness,  and  give  an  affair  with  so  comic  a  d6but  a  tragic 
finale. 

After  having  lighted  the  galley  fire,  Mrs.  J.  proceeded  to  the  boat's  side  to  draw  a 
bucket  of  water,  but  the  rope  being  too  short,  the  first  operation  was  unsuccessful. 

"  How  provoking — the  bucket  didn't  get  nearly  low  enough,"  soliloquized  the  fair 
creature.  "  It  will  never  do  to  call  Ch&-re,  O-mi-tu-fuh  !  (0  great  Buddha)  what  shall 
I  do?" 

Uttering  this  short  "  prayer  under  adverse  circumstances,"  Mrs.  J.  stood  on  tip-toe, 
shook  the  rope,  lowered  it  until  she  felt  the  bucket  touch  the  water,  reached  over,  say- 
ing, "  Hech  !  he-ch  !  the  bucket  won't — fill — he-ch  !  "  when  she  suddenly  lost  her 
balance,  and,  with  a  cry  of  fear,  plunged  headlong  overboard.  Poor  Mrs.  J. !  in  her 
descent  she  must  have  struck  her  head  against  the  boat's  side,  as,  upon  rising  to  the 
surface  again,  she  made  no  effort  to  swim,  but  quietly  sank  to  rise  no  more. 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    "  THE    HEJ^fHEN    CHINEE."  115 

This  catastrophe  was  calmly  witnessed  by  a  number  of  sampan-men  and  the 
"fellers  "  on. an  adjoining  canal  boat,  to  whom  Jerry  had  appealed  when  publishing  his 
banns  ;  but  not  one  of  them  made  the  slightest  attempt  to  save  her,  believing  "  that  the 
River  God  had  got  her,"  and  it  would  be  calling  his  vengeance  down  upon  their  own 
heads  if  they  tried  to  rescue  her  from  his  grasp.  They  sat  and  watched  the  affair 
much  a»  they  would  have  done  the  death  of  a  kitten,  and  when  it  was  all  over,  coolly 
remarked  to  each  other,  "  that  she  didn't  kick  much  when  the  God  grasped  her." 

Jerry,  busy  below  with  the  samshoo,  did  not  hear  the  splash ;  and  when  he  again 
returned  to  the  deck  was  informed  by  a  sampan-man,  who  was  waiting  for  a  fare 
alongside  a  neighbouring  boat,  that  his  woman  had  given  herself  to  the  River  God. 
Other  spectators  of  the  tragedy  added  their  testimony  to  the  boatman's,  and  Jerry 
found  that  without  doubt  Mrs  J.  was  gone. 

After  diving  in  the  water,  and  searching  under  the  boat,  in  hopes  the  poor  creature 
might  have  "  lodged  "  there,  but  finding  that  she  was  indeed  carried  off  by  the  River 
God,  Jerry  reluctantly  gave  up  his  search,  and  returned  to  the  Big  Dog,  which  was  by 
this  time  swarming  with  sampan-men,  who,  taking  advantage  of  the  owner's  trouble, 
were  plundering  the  craft  in  a  most  business-like  manner. 

Jerry  was  overcome  with  grief  and  despair,  but  even  under  these  circumstances 
did  not  choose  to  be  robbed ;  so  after  thrashing  the  thieves  out  of  the  boat,  he  prepared 
to  leave  her.  Mo's  dog,  a  most  savage  brute,  was  chained  up  forward,  and  when  the  sailor 
had  provisioned  the  sampan  belonging  to  the  craft,  and  secured  the  cash  he  had  taken 
from  the  magazine  at  Sse-tsein,  he  released  the  beast,  and  quitted  the  boat,  which  by 
this  time  had  become  odious  to  him. 

Mr.  Mo  arrived  at  Mung-shan  soon  after  Jerry's  departure,  and  was  duly  informed 
of  his  bereavement,  upon  hearing  which  he  sat  down  and  uttered — not  a  prayer  for  the 
departed — but  some  very  naughty  words. 

After  sailing  a  short  distance  in  the  sampan,  Jerry  landed  at  a  little  fishing  village 
on  the  other  side  of  the  lake  ;  and  having  found  a  young  fellow  who  was  desirous  of 
seeing  something  of  the  world,  he  shipped  him  as  his  crew,  and  the  pair  worked  their 
way  back  to  Ngan-tong,  and  thence  down  the  Imperial  Canal,  during  which  trip 
Thompson  became  very  proficient  in  the  Chinese  language.  At  Kuachii  his  crew 
abandoned  him,  and  he  proceeded  alone  until  he  reached  Lake  Tai-hu,  where,  selling 
his  boat,  he  landed  and  tramped  his  way  toward  the  green  tea  district.  The  world 
seemed  a  weary  place  for  Jerry ;  and  although  he  saw  many  pretty  girls  working 
in  the  fields,  he  did  not  care  to  enter  into  conversation  with  them.  Everything 
appeared  to  go  wrong  with  him  since  Mrs.  J.  died,  and  he  wanted  a  severe  shock  to 
rouse  him  from  his  lethargic  state. 

One  morning  he  entered  the  town  of  Whey-chii,  in  the  heart  of  the  green  tea 
district,  and  as  he  spoke  rather  peculiar  Chinese,  the  guard  arrested  him  as  a  Canton, 
rebel.  After  having  floored  several  of  the  soldiers,  he  was  overpowered,  and  thrown, 
into  prison,  and  found  he  ran  an  excellent  chance  of  being  beheaded,  as  the  public 
prosecutor  declared  him  to  be  a  rebel  spy.  There  was  no  opportunity  of  escaping, 
as  at  Sse-tsein  ;  and,  to  add  to  his  trouble,  he  was  taken  sick  with  fever.  After  being 
incarcerated  in  a  horrid  hole  for  more  than  three  weeks,  he  was  examined,  when  he 
declared  "  that  he  was  no  rebel,  but  an  Inkili  Hung-mow-jin,"  or  foreign  red-headed 
man.  This  announcement  was  received  with  derison ;  but,  upon  consultation  with  his 
assistants,  the  mandarin,  before  whom  he  was  taken,  determined  to  send  him  to 
Hang-chow,  where  a  commissioner  was  sitting  to  decide  upon  the  fate  of  all  rebels  who 
were  captured  in  the  province  of  Che-Keang.  As  he  argued,  "  If  this  is  a  western 
barbarian,  although  he  isn't  vermilion-headed,  I  ought  not  to  put  him  to  death,  the 


116 


BLUE  jJbKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 


emperor  having  instructed  me  to  forward  all  such  to  Canton,  or  the  nearest  port  where 
those  Fanquis  congregate.  Now,  as  that  would  involve  a  large  expense,  which,  in  these 
t:mes  of  rebellion,  we  cannot  very  well  afford,  I  will  send  him  to  Hang-chow,  where 
the  Imperial  commissioner  will  determine  whether  he  is  a  rebel  or  not." 

One  day  as  Jerry  was  dreaming  his  time  away  in  his  cell  an  executioner  entered, 
and,  bidding  him  follow,  led  the  way  into  the  Court  of  Mercy,  where  he  was  forced 
upon  his  knees,  and  ordered  to  bow  to  the  mandarin  who  presided.  The  father  and 
mother  of  the  city  addressed  a  long  speech  to  his  prisoner,  and  then  dismissed  him  with 
a  gesture  of  contempt,  upon  which  he  was  dragged  off,  as  he  imagined,  to  execution, 
they  leading  him  into  a  room,  and  striking  off  his  irons. 

"  I'm  glad  it'll  soon  be  all  over,"  he  observed  in  English.  I'm  tired  of  this  dog's 
life." 

The  executioner  called  in  two  Tartar  soldiers,  who  seized  the  prisoner,  and  fastened 
a  rope  round  his  neck,  each  of  them  taking  an  end ;  the  door  was  then  opened,  and  he 
found  himself  once  more  in  the  sun-light.  His  guards  led  him  with  every  show  of 
caution  until  they  got  clear  of  the  city,  then  they  coiled  the  rope  round  his  neck,  and 
jogged  along  in  a  very  friendly  manner. 

"  Ha  ! "  he  exclaimed,  as  he  cast  his  eyes  back  towards  the  town.  "  Good-bye,  you 
infernal  pest-hole.  Jerry  is  himself  again,  and  if  all  goes  well  will  be  upon  hie  own 
hook  in  twenty-four  hours,  at  the  furthest." 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  ''THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      117 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  day  following  that  upon  which  Puffeigh  left  his  ship  Captain  "Woodward 
mustered  his  crew  and  made  them  the  following  speech : — "  My  men,  I  yesterday  read 
my  commission  and  took  charge  of  this  ship  as  your  commander.  I  did  not  care  to 
address  you  then ;  but  as  I  always  like  to  start  fairly  with  my  crew,  I  take  this  opportu- 
nity to  do  so.  I  find  you  are  lax  in  your  duty,  and  that  there  is  a  common  use  of  profane 
language  among  you  which  I  wish  stopped.  I  may  as  well  tell  you  that  I  am  in 
every  way  averse  to  flogging.  I  consider  you  are  men,  and  that  the  lash  is  degra- 
ding and  brutal.  I  am  determined  you  shall  have  your  rights,  but  you  must  always 
endeavour  to  be  worthy  of  them.  I  wish  you  to  understand  that  you  start  fairly  with 
me.  I  do  not  know  any  of  your  former  good  or  bad  behaviour.  What  a  man  is  to-day  is 
my  guide ;  and  those  who  have  been  astray  have  now  an  opportunity  of  taking 
their  place,  without  reproach,  with  those  men  who  have  behaved  well.  You  who 
are  petty  officers  will,  I  know,  for  the  sake  of  your  manhood,  cease  to  use 
those  foolish,  meaningless  oaths  and  childishly  absurd  expressions, — cease  from  this 
hour,  not  to  please  me  alone,  but  out  of  respect  for  yourselves.  Remember,  you 
have  to  set  an  example  to  your  shipmates,  and  I  shall  disrate  any  petty  officer  who 
continues  to  make  a  fool  of  himself  in  that  manner.  And  you  able  and  ordinary  seamen, 
remember  you  are  men,  and  do  not,  when  addressing  each  other,  use  expressions 
that  you  would  not  address  to  me.  Boys,  think  how  much  better  you  are 
when  you  speak  decently,  and  how  low  and  degrading  you  appear  in  every  one's  eyes 
when  you  forget  to  do  so,  and  bring  yourselves  to  a  level  with  the  vilest  outcasts.  I 
don't  expect  you  will  leave  off  all  of  a  sudden.  Don't  commence  by  making  yourselves 
ridiculous  in  attempting  the  use  of  fine  words,  for  that  would  be  childish,  but  try  your 
best  to  drop  so  foolish  a  habit  as  that  of  swearing,  and  when  rid  of  it,  never  take  to  it 
again.  Let  all  remember  you  have  your  rights  as  men,  and  that  no  one  is  justified  in 
abusing  you  or  treating  you  otherwise  than  as  reasonable  beings.  Serve  your  country, 
and  endeavour  to  do  it  well,  and  you  will  be  treated  fairly  and  justly.  I  don't  want 
the  cat-of-nine-tails  to  assist  me  in  keeping  order  in  the  ship.  You  shall  have  six 
months  to  break  yourselves  of  your  foolish  habit  of  swearing,  and  after  that  time  I 
shall  punish  all  who  indulge  in  it.  All  I  want  is  promptness  and  attention  to  duty  on 
your  part,  and  for  you  to  take  pride  in  yourselves  and  your  beautiful  ship.  I  don't 
wish  to  curry  favour  with  you, — you  will  find.  I  am  strict  in  all  my  ideas,  but  I  think  a 
good  deal  of  a  sailor  who  is  honest  and  true,  and  who  knows  if  he  does  his  duty  he  has 
nothing  to  fear.  Be  respectful  to  your  officers,  and  try  to  elevate  yourselves,  remem- 
bering there's  a  clear  stage  and  no  favour." 

This  speech  was  received  by  the  crew  with  a  murmur  of  applause.  Clare,  or  rather 
those  like  him,  but  more  fortunate  in  having  hitherto  escaped  the  lash,  rejoiced,  as  they 
saw  a  bright  prospect  before  them,  and  a  chance  of  getting  justice,  and  all  felt  delighted 
when  they  found  their  new  captain  was  one  of  the  few  officers  who  did  not  believe  in 
flogging  his  men.  When  they  were  dismissed  after  his  speech,  they  sat  about  the  fore- 
castle in  groups,  and  chatted  over  what  he  had  said 


118  BLUE  JACKETS;  OR,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

"It's  all  very  well  for  him  to  blarney  us  over  like  that,  but  see  if  he  don't  have  some 
on  us  to  the  gratings  afore  the  six  months  are  up.  He  ain't  agoin'  to  kid  me  in  that 
way,"  observed  one  of  Crushe's  pets. 

"  Who  asks  you  to  be  kidded,  as  you  calls  it  ?  "  replied  a  petty  officer  who  had  over- 
heard the  foregoing  speech.  "  I  tell  you  what  it  is,  if  I  hears  any  swearing  in  my  mess 
from  you,  or  any  other  idiot,  out  you  goes ;  so  stow  it.  I  don't  think  the  captain 
expects  we're  going  to  pull  long  faces,  or  sing  psalms  all  day ;  but  I  for  one  mean  to 
drop  such  language,  anyhow,  and  I'd  advise  you  to  do  so  too." 

The  boys,  who  were  naturally  more  impressionable  than  their  seniors,  did  their 
best  to  avoid  using  bad  expressions,  and  it  was  most  amusing  to  hear  the  way  they 
would  interrupt  themselves  when  having  an  altercation  with  each  other.  Of  course 
there  were  some  who  kept  on  for  a  time,  but,  finding  the  majority  of  their  shipmates 
regarded  their  language  as  mere  idle  vapouring,  they  gradually  left  it  off. 
The  great  secret  of  Captain  Woodward's  success  was,  that  he  never  himself 
used  an  improper  expression  when  addressing  his  men,  or  in  fact  at  any  other 
time  ;  he  was  truly  a  manly  fellow,  and  before  he  had  been  in  command  six  months, 
any  of  the  Stingers  would  have  gone  through  fire  and  water  to  show  their  appreciation 
of  his  kindness.  Those  men  whom  he  found  unfitted  for  the  positions  to  which  they 
had  been  promoted  by  Crushe  he  quietly  disrated  and  exchanged  into  other  ships,  thus 
sparing  them  disgrace  before  their  old  shipmates.  He  went  upon  the  principle  that  his 
men  were  entitled  to  as  much  consideration  as  his  officers,  never  forgetting,  however, 
the  respect  due  to  the  latter,  but  rather  increasing  their  individual  authority  in  the 
eyes  of  the  crew. 

Captain  Woodward  was  of  middle  height,  with  strongly-knit  frame  and  massive 
head  surrounded  by  thick  curly  hair.  His  eyes  were  large  and  piercing,  and  few  men 
could  stand  their  searching  glance.  Honest,  frank,  and  affable,  he  endeavoured  to 
raise  to  his  own  level  all  those  with  whom  he  came  in  contact,  but  it  was  delightful  to 
see  him  put  down  a  bully.  No  matter  how  savage  the  fellow  was,  he  left  his  presence 
tamed.  The  boys  would  watch  his  movements  and  anticipate  his  orders,  quite  proud 
to  be  able  to  serve  him  ;  and  the  men  found  that  if  they  behaved  themselves  properly, 
their  complaints,  when  they  had  any,  were  attended  to ;  but  woe  betide  the  growler 
or  tale-bearer  who  dared  take  up  the  captain's  time. 

One  morning,  about  three  bells,  the  ship  being  at  that  time  cruising  along  the  coast, 
in  search  of  any  pirate  craft  which  might  be  "  seeking  whom  it  might  devour," 
the  captain  was  chatting  with  the  first  lieutenant,  when  the  latter  directed  the  boat- 
swain's mate  of  the  watch  to  go  below  and  lash  up  his  hammock,  in  order  to  give  him  an 
opportunity  of  getting  his  nautical  bed  on  deck  at  the  same  time  as  the  rest  of  the  crew. 
The  man,  whose  name  was  Blain,  and  who  was  commonly  known  by  the  sobriquet  of 
Mary  or  Polly  Blain,  had  not  been  below  many  moments  before  the  sensitive  ears  of 
the  commander  were  shocked  by  a  string  of  the  most  horrid  imprecations,  evidently 
proceeding  from  the  mouth  of  the  before-mentioned  Blain.  Liexitenant  Russell  was 
about  to  order  the  man  upon  deck,  when  the  commander  desired  him  to  let  him  be  for 
a  moment,  and  then  a  rough  voice  was  heard  in  reply  to  that  of  the  boatswain's  mate. 
Words  ran  high,  and  were  soon  followed  by  blows,  but  after  they  had  fought  a  couple 
of  rounds,  the  sergeant  of  marines,  who  was  turned  out  by  the  noise,  parted  them,  and 
ordered  both  the  combatants  upon  deck. 

Mr.  Blain  was  the  first  to  make  his  appearance  up  the  hatchway,  and  as  he  held  his 
nose  with  one  hand,  and  balanced  a  hammock  upon  his  shoulder  with  the  other  while 
he  came  along  the  deck,  he  presented  such  a  ludicrous  appearance  that  Captain  Wood- 
ward could  scarce  refrain  from  smiling.  Having  deposited  his  bed  in  the  netting,  he 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  ''  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE.'"'     1 19 

walked  aft  upon  the  quarter-deck,  and  stood  at  attention,  but  still  kept  his  hand  to  his 
nose. 

"  Why  do  you  apply  your  hand  to  the  most  prominent  member  of  your  counten- 
ance ?  "  demanded  the  polite  first  lieutenant. 

"  I'm  fraidse  my  nosh  will  fall  offsh,"  snuffled  the  man. 

Shortly  after  this  his  opponent  was  marched  aft,  holding  his  jaws  with  both  hands, 
like  a  person  suffering  from  neuralgia.  The  sergeant  of  marines,  who  was  a  very 
smart  and  effective  officer,  made  them  stand  as  nearly  at  attention  as  circumstances 
permitted,  and  then  reported  them  to  the  first  lieutenant,  who,  after  a  casual  glance, 
remarked,  "  that  never,  during  the  entire  course  of  a  varied  and  somewhat  peripatetic 
career,  had  it  been  his  destiny  to  find  brought  before  him  individuals  so  totally  de- 
prived of  the  slightest  vestiges  of  intelligence ;  "  and  having  thus  delivered  himself, 
reported  the  offenders  to  his  superior  officer. 

As  Captain  Paul  Woodward  imagined  neither  of  the  men  would  like  to  acknowledge 
having  used  the  very  shocking  expressions  he  had  overheard  them  indulge  in  during  the 
heat  of  their  argument,  he  was  desirious  of  hearing  the  case  himself,  instead  of  the 
preliminary  inquiries  being  made  by  the  first  lieutenant,  and  he  anticipated  some 
amusement  from  the  proceeding ;  as  old  sailors  will  invent  the  most  astounding  stories 
in  order  to  explain  away  their  faults.  Assuming  a  severe  expression  of  countenance, 
the  commander  advanced  to  where  the  men  stood ;  upon  which  Blain  pulled  his  fore- 
lock with  one  hand,  and  held  his  nose  with  the  other,  while  his  opponent  cautiously 
removed  his  right  hand  from  his  jaw,  saluted,  and  then  clapped  it  back  in  its  place,  as 
if  fearing  to  leave  it  for  one  moment  unsupported. 

"  What  are  these  men's  names  ?  " 

"  Thomas  Blain,  boatswain's  mate,  and  James  Spry,  quarter-master,  reported  for 
fighting  upon  the  lower  deck,"  observed  the  sergeant  with  a  military  salute. 

"  State  your  charge,  sergeant." 

With  another  flourish,  and  drawing  himself  up  to  his  full  height,  until  he  looked 
like  a  human  tower,  the  soldier  stared  straight  before  him,  and  thus  delivered  himself : 
— "  At  five  minutes  to  three  bells  I  was  aroused  by  the  noise  of  quarrelling  and  swear- 
ing, and  turning  over  in  my  hammock,  beheld  Thomas  Blain,  boatswain's  mate  of  the 
watch  on  deck,  bumping  James  Spry,  quarter-master,  who  was  turned  in,  in  his  ham- 
mock. James  Spry  looked  over  his  hammock,  and  observed  to  Thomas  Blain  in 
anything  but  elegant  or  refined  language,  that  he  was  not  a  gentleman,  and  he  had 
never  thought  much  of  him,  or  any  member  of  his  family.  Upon  this  Thomas 
Blain  called  James  Spry  all  the  vulgar  titles  in  his  biography,  and  then  James 
Spry  jumped  out  of  his  hammock,  and  struck  Thomas  Blain,  upon  which  a  figj^t 
ensued;  and  I  got  up,  put  on  my  uniform,  and  took  them  in  custody.  At  that 
time  Thomas  Blain  had  James  Spry  upon  his  back,  and  was  endeavouring  to  bump 
his  jaws  against  the  shot  in  the  rack,  upon  which  James  Spry  seized  a  vinegar 
breaker,  and  struck  Thomas  Blain  across  the  nose,  nearly  extricating  it  from  his 
visage." 

"  Is  that  all,  sergeant  ?  " 

The  soldier  saluted  by  way  of  confirmation. 

Turning  to  Blain,  the  commander  asked  him  what  he  had  to  say  in  defence  of  this 
charge.  Holding  his  nose  with  one  hand,  and  with  the  other  pointed  towards  his  enemy, 
he  fenuffled  out  as  follows : 

"  Your  honour,  I'm  as  innicent  as  a  babe  unborn  as  to  them  insinuwations  of  the 
sergeant's ;  however  he  ken  go  to  say  I  swore  I  keant  think.  I  was  ordered  to  go  below 
by  the  fust  lieutenant  to  lash  up  my  'ammick,  and  I  vos  a  passin'  by  that  of  Chuckle's,  as 


120        BLUE  JACKETS;  OR,  THE  ADVENTUKKS  OF 

T8  all-ways  call  Jemmy  Spry,  ven  he  looks  over  the  edge  ov  his  'ammick,  and  ses  he  to  me, 
he  ses,  '  You  miserabull  old  ay -nay- tommy,' ses  he  just  in  that  aggrewating  tone ;  'you 
old  feg-end,  you  somethink  old  sneak,'  ses  he,  '  what  are  you  a  skulkin'  below  in  your 
watch  on  deck  for  ? '  Ses  I,  -'  If  you  please,'  werry  civil,  yer  honour,  '  Chuckles,  old  man, 
don't  use  sich  langwage  to  a  old  shipmate,  and  swearing,  too,  ven  you  knows  as  how  the 
capting  don't  hold  with  no  sich,'  ses  I.  Vith  that  he  ups  and  jumps  out  of  his' 'ammick; 
and  after  having  used  verds  vich  my  mouth  couldn't  be  polluted  to  go  for  to  repeat,  he 
calls  me  a  old  chiser,  and  said  he'd  be  semethinked  if  he  would'nt  give  me  toko  for  yam, 
and  ups  and  hits  me." 

"  Did  you  not  abuse  him  in  return,  my  man  ?  " 

"  Me,  sir  ?  me  allow  sich  language  to  come  from  my  lips  Y  vy,  I'd  die  first.  I  ses  to 
him,  gently  and  mildly,  like  I'm  speaking  now,  '  Chuckles,'  ses  I,  '  I'm  grieved  to  the  heart 
to  hear  a  first  class  petty  officer  agoing  on  in  that  ere  pellucid  manner.' " 

"  Then  you  deny  having  used  improper  language  ?  " 

"  I'll  take  my  oath  I  never  said  D.  once,  sir.  Well,  your  honour,  he  being  no  hand 
-with  his  fists,  I  soon  got  him  down.  ,upon  vich  he  seized  the  winnegar  breaker,  and  after 
using  some  most  horrible  language,  vich  made  my  teeth  stand  on  edge,  he  hove  it  across 
my  mug,  and  cut  my  nose  nearly  off." 

"  Very  good,  my  man.     Now  let  me  heaf  your  version,  quarter-master." 

Mr.  Spry  spoke  somewhat  indistinctly,  as  he  persisted  in  supporting  his  jaws  with 
both  hands,  but  Captain  Woodward  made  out  the  following : — "  Yer  honour,  I  was  a 
laying  in  my  hammock  a  sleepin'  like  a  infant,  when  all  of  a  sudden  I  felt  a  wiolent  pain 
jest  here"  (here  the  speaker  let  go  his  right  jaw,  and  having  indicated  the  small  of  his 
back  as  the  spot  where  he  felt  the  pain,  he  took  a  fresh  grip  of  his  chin,  and  proceeded 
with  his  story).  "Well,  yer  honour,  the  collusion  woke  me  up,  and  I  peeped  over  the 
edge  of  my  hammock,  where  I  saw  Polly  Blain  a  standin'  on  a  attitiide  of  defiance  and  a 
grinnin'  at  me  like  a  Cheshire  cat.  Ses  I,  '  Wot's  that  for  ? '  Ses  he,  '  You  in-fer-nal  old 
dot,'  ses  he,  '  come  out  if  you  are  a  man.'  Upon  which  I  politely  said,  '  If  you  please, 
Thomas  Blain,  don't  be  so  wery  aggrewatin',  or  I  shall  be  forced  to  inform  the  first  lieu- 
tenant;' upon  which  he  up  and  said,  'The  first  lieutenant  be  jiggered,  and  he  didn't 
care  a  dot  for  him,'  eteeterur.  Upon  which  I  closed  my  ears,  not  being  given  to  bad  Ian' 
guage  myself." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  you  did  not  swear,  as  he  asserts  ?  " 

"  Sir, — Captain  Woodward  I'd  scorn  to  tell  a  lie  ;  and  since  that  ere  beautiful  speech 
of  yourn  I've  made  a  wow  never  to  swear  again.  No,  sir,  I'm  reformed — I  used  to  swear 
a  little  when  the  last  captain  was  in  the  ship,  but  I'm  a  altered  man  now,  sir.  Well,  sir, 
I  jrgyfied  with  him,  civil  and  peaceful,  for  a  few  moments,  and  then  he  struck  me  and 
threw  me  down,  and  jammed  my  jaws  agin  the  shot-rack,  knocking  out  over  fifty  teeth» 
Tich  he  forced  me  to  svaller,  as  he  wouldn't  give  me  time  to  gasp.  Just  as  he  lifted  me 
for  the  tenth  time  to  heave  me  upon  the  shot-rack,  my  right  hand  finger  somehow  slid 
inside  the  handle  of  the  winnegar-breaker,  and  afore  I  could  prevent  him,  Thomas  Blain 
run  his  nose  clean  up  agin  the  breaker  and  nearly  cut  it  off ;  upon  which  he  became 
furious,  and  would  not  listen  to  reason,  so  I  was  obliged  to  repeat  the  blow  in  self-defence, 
as  he  swore  he'd  murder  me  if  he  could  only  get  at  me." 

"  Is  that  all  ?  " 

"  Yes,  your  honour, — that's  all." 

Woodward  surveyed  the  men  for  some  moments,  then  addressed  them  as  follows : — 
"  My  men,  I  am  sorry  to  see  you  in  this  plight,  and  still  more,  to  hear  you  spin  such 
yarns.  I  overheard  your  quarrel,  and  was  disgusted  with  your  obscenity.  You,  Blain, 
»sed  language  unbecoming  a  petty  officer,  and  for  that  I  disrate  you  to  be  an  able  sea- 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B,,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      121 

man.  You,  Spry,  who  are  old  enough  to  know  better,  I  also  disrate ;  and  as  I  do  not 
consider  either  of  you  fit  to  associate  with  the  decent  men  of  my  crew,  I  direct  you 
shall  leave  yo*ur  messes,  and  be  messed  together  until  such  time  as  you  are  able  to 
agree,  and  have  left  off  using  profane  language.  Sergeant,  send  for  the  ship's 
steward." 

In  a  few  moments  Mr.  Poison  came  up  from  his  bread-room,  winking  and  blinking 
like  an  owl  in  the  light. 

"  Steward,  to  what  messes  do  these  men  belong  ?  " 

"  Let  me  see,  sir.  Spry  belongs  to  number  two  mess,  and  Blain  belongs  to  number 
seven." 

"  Very  good.     How  many  messes  are  there?  " 

"  Twelve  seamen's,  and  four  Bile  marines'  messes,  sir." 

"  Can  you  make  a  seventeenth  mess  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.  That  is  if  they  mess  before  the  armourer's  bench  on  the  supernumerary 
mess  table." 

"  Very  well,  steward,  enter  number  seventeen  mess  in  your  books,  and  put  down  in 
it  these  two  men's  names.  Mind,  no  one  else  is  to  join  them." 

The  commander  then  turned  to  the  sergeant  and  directed  him  "  to  see  that  the  two 
able  seamen  took  their  mess  traps  and  gear  into  their  new  mess,  and  ordered  him  on  no 
account  to  allow  either  of  them  to  take  a  meal  at  any  but  that  table,"  and  dismissed 
the  mutilated  ones  to  the  comforts  of  each  other's  society. 

At  that  moment  the  pipe  went  for  the  cooks  of  messes  to  lay  aft  for  their  flour  and 
plums. 

Spry  anu  Blain  were  somewhat  non-plussed,  as  each  had  sworn  never  to  speak  to 
the  other  when  not  on  duty.  They,  howeverj  walked  forward,  when  a  bright  thought 
occurred  to  the  former,  and  he  motioned  his  new  messmate  to  toss  for  the  cookship. 
Blain  gravely  drew  a  penny  from  a  small  bag  in  which  he  kept  his  money,  and  twirling 
the  coin  in  the  air,  held  it  hidden  between  his  flattened  palms  before  the  face  of  his 
opponent.  Spry  being  unable  to  cry  head  or  tail,  looked  solemnly  and  pointed  to  his 
own  head,  upon  which  Blain  removed  his  uppermost  hand  disclosed  the  coin,  which 
was  head  up.  Blain  thereupon  took  a  tin  dish  and  drew  the  rations,  after  which  they 
sat  down  to  breakfast,  back  to  back  As  their  meal  consisted  of  cocoa  and  dry  biscuit, 
there  was  no  need  for  either  to  request  the  other  "  to  pass  the  sauce,"  and  as  far  as  the 
actual  requirements  of  the  case  were  concerned  they  got  on  very  well  upon  the  silent 
system.  After  breakfast  Spry  went  on  deck,  leaving  his  messmate  to  make  the  duff 
and  otherwise  prepare  their  dinner  At  twelve  o'clock  both  men  sat  down  and  de- 
voured their  meal  in  silence  ;  and  when  the  pipe  went  for  grog,  the  cook  of  the  mefe 
proceeded  on  deck  to  draw  their  allowance,  which  having  tilted  into  a  basin,  ht, 
being  without  a  measure,  grimly  pushed  over  to  his  companion.  Now,  when  two 
•sailors  face  each  other  over  a  bowl  of  grog  they  are  very  apt  to  forget  all  differences  ; 
and  the  maimed  ones,  after  pushing  the  basin  backwards  and  forwards  between  them, 
as  neither  would  so  far  lower  himself  in  the  other's  eyes  as  to  drink  first,  at  last  ventured 
to  exchange  glances  There  was  the  grog — strong,  dark,  and  tempting,  so  they  took 
first  a  look  at  that  and  then  at  each  other,  then  their  hands  slowly  crept  across  the 
table,  and  there  was  another  friendly  contest  who  should  be  most  polite  in  silently  in- 
sisting upon  the  other  taking  the  first  sip.  At  length  they  spoke  simultaneously. 

"  Spry,  old  ship,  I'm  a  fool." 

"  Blain,  old  man,  I'm  a  duffer." 

And  then  they  drank  alternately  to  each  other's  health,  and  swore  perpetual 
friendship. 


122  BLUE   JACKETS  J     OK,    THE    ADVENTURES.  OF 

"  You  see,  Jemmy,  old  man — " 

"  Call  me  Chuckles,  Polly,  it  sounds  friendZyer  like." 

"  Veil,  Chuckles,  old  man,  you  don't  know  how  sorry  I  vos  to  assault'  you  as  I  did. 
However,  we're  both  the  better  for  it." 

How  Mr.  Blain  drew  this  induction  we  cannot  understand,  but  from  that  hour  they 
became  fast  friends  and  left  off  swearing.  If  either  of  them  were  very  much  tried,  as 
was  sometimes  the  case,  it  would  be  noticed  that  his  mouth  would  move  in  a  peculiar- 
manner,  which  might  have  been  taken  for  wordless  or  pantomimic  "  cussing,"  but  when 
interrogated  upon  this  point,  the  old  fellows  would  solemnly  deny  that  their  lips  had 
moved  to  form  anything  but  silent  prayers.  Some  months  after  they  were  re-rated 
petty  officers,  and  it  was  amusing  to  see  how  fearfully  shocked  they  would  try  to 
appear  whenever  they  heard  any  one  use  strong  language ;  and  to  such  a  degree  of 
godliness  did  old  Spry  arrive,  that  upon  one  occasion  he  reported  a  shipmate  for  calling 
him  an  "  old  damper,"  and  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that  the  first  lieutenant  brought 
him  to  understand  that  it  was  a  term  of  derision,  not  an  oath. 

"  It  sounded  werry  much  like  a  D  to  me,  sir." 

"  My  worthy  man,  I  regret  to  be  compelled  to  observe  that  if  the  gross  ignorance 
under  which  you  labour  renders  you  incompetent  to  seize  the  signification  of  the 
expression  damper,  and  causes  you  to  contemplate  it  as  a  profane  expression,  you  must 
continue  to  retain  your  erroneous  impression,  as  the  most  elaborate  explanation  and 
analysis  of  the  term  would  be  lost  in  the  Cimmerian  gloom  which  overspreads  your 
benighted  intelligence." 

Spry  bowed  reverently,  and  turned  away  quite  overcome  by  the  lieutenant's  speech, 
as  he  observed  to  his  chum  Blain,  "  Not  werry  well  able  to  make  out  if  the  lieutenant 
were  not  a  cussing  of  him  in  Chinee,"  as  Russell  was  one  of  the  few  officers  who 
could  speak  that  language. 

Although  the  Stingers  were  a  reformed  crew  in  many  respects,  yet  they  were  not  a 
dull  one,  as  their  captain  and  officers  encouraged  them  in  getting  up  amusements  of 
every  kind.  They  felt  they  were  men,  and  did  their  best  to  show  their  appreciation  of 
their  commander's  kindness.  Of  course  there  were  many  rough  characters  among  them, 
but  they  were  kept  within  bounds  by  the  better  class  of  men.  Clare  was  more  reconciled 
to  his  fate  than  ever  he  had  been,  but  the  lash  had  done  its  work  with  him,  and  no  one 
would  have  recognized  the  handsome  Tom  Clare  of  former  times,  in  the  quiet,  gloomy- 
looking  sailor  who  moved  among  his  fellows  like  an  automaton.  One  day  Captain 
Woodward  sent  for  the  man  and  offered  him  a  rate,  but  Tom  respectfully  declined  the 
honour. 
'  "  Why  not  ?  take  it,  my  good  man." 

"  It's  too  late,  sir ;  too  late." 

"  Come,  come,  my  friend,  don't  look  back  upon  the  past.  I  hear  you  have  been  in 
trouble.  You  must  forget  your  punishment,  as  you  have  done  your  weakness.  You- 
have  overcome  one,  now  conquer  the  other." 

"  Overcome  what,  sir  ?  " 

"Well,  Lieutenant  Crushe  informed  me  that  you  had  been  brought  to  the  gratings 
through  drink." 

"  Now,  God  forgive  him  for  that  shocking  falsehood.  No,  sir,  I  was  once  strong, 
hearty,  and  always  as  anxious  to  do  my  duty  as  I  am  now.  I  was  unfortunate  enough 
to  offend  Lieutenant  Crushe  when  I  served  under  him  in  the  Porpoise.  Well,  sir,  to 
make  a  long  story  short,  when  I  joined  the  ship  I  found  him  in  command,  and  he 
stopped  my  leave,  and  threatened  to  flog  me.  Heaven  knows,  I  tried  hard  enough  to 
please  him,  but  it  weren't  no  use.  He  worried  and  hounded  me  until  I  deseited." 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      123 

"  That  was  very,  very  wrong  on  your  part,  my  man." 

"/know  it,  sir ;  but  I  had  just  been  married  to  as  good  a  girl  as  ever  a  man  was 
blessed  with,  when  I  found  myself  ordered  to  this  ship,  and  when  here,  a  prisoner 
by  his  orders.  So  arter  I  had  in  vain  appealed  to  Captain  Puffeigh,  and  had  tried  every 
way  to  get  leave,  I  deserted,  and  were  arrested  the  same  day  by  a  corporal,  who  grossly 
insulted  my  wife,  for  which  I  struck  him.  I  were  brought  on  board  and  reported  to 
Mr.  Cravan,  who  was  the  officer  of  the  watch,  and  he,  too,  called  my  poor  girl  foul 
names,  and  I  struck  him.  I  know  that  was  wrong,  but  I  could  not  help  it.  No  man 
would  ha'  stood  by  and  heard  her  whom  he  loved  spoken  of  as  he  did  of  my  wife.  Then 
they  all  swore  agin  me  at  the  court-martial,  and  I  was  tried,  condemned,  and  received 
fifty  lashes,  while  my  wife  was  a  fainting  in  a  boat  alongside.  I  wern't  allowed  to  see 
her,  and  now  I  believe  she  is  dead !  " 

"  Come,  my  friend,  you  must  not  despair.  I  will  do  my  best  for  you,  and  you  will 
yet  lift  up  your  head  if  you  try." 

"  Thank  ye,  sir,  you're  werry  good ;  but  your  great  kindness  can't  take  the  disgrace 
away  from  me,  or  the  scars  off  my  back ,  and,  worse  'an  all,  can't  bring  my  wife  back 
to  life." 

"  How  do  you  know  she's  dead  ?     Have  you  positive  information  ?  "      • 

"  Yes,  sir ;  on  the  16th  of  August  I  seed  her  spirit,  and  she  smiled  mournful  like 
upon  me,  and  then  faded  away." 

"  Your  visions  are  but  part  of  your  present  state  of  ill-health,  my  man,  and  next  mail 
will  probably  bring  you  news  from  her.  Meanwhile,  as  we  shall  be  in  Hong-Kong 
to-morrow,  I'll  rate  you  my  coxswain,  and  give  you  plenty  to  employ  your  mind,  and 
divert  you  from  your  morbid  ideas." 

Tom  thanked  the  commander,  and  walked  forward  to  prepare  his  clothes  for 
his  new  duties,  while  "Woodward  sent  for  the  surgeon,  and  told  him  of  Clare's 
illusion. 

"  Its  a  sad  story,  Captain  "Woodward,  but  unfortunately  true.  Crushe  did  as  he 
says,  and  also  exercised  great  cruelty  to  others ;  but  we  cannot  bring  odium  upon  the 
service  by  exposing  him." 

"  "What  do  you  consider  is  the  matter  with  this  man  Clare  ?  " 

"  Heart  disease,  brought  on  through  the  severe  flogging  he  received.  He  is  a  highly 
sensitive  man,  and  the  disgrace  and  separation  from  his  wife — who  is,  by-the-by,  a  very 
superior  woman — are  slowly  killing  him.  You  have  done  a  very  humane  act  in 
making  him  your  coxswain,  and  the  change  of  life  may  be  the  means  of  arresting  his 
malady." 

Woodward  and  the  doctor  walked  out  about  the  quarter-deck  arm-in-arm,  and 
chatted  upon  various  subjects  until  lunch-time,  when  they  went  below,  and  the  com- 
mander pressed  the  surgeon  to  join  him.  During  the  time  Puffeigh  was  in  command 
great  coolness  had  existed  between  the  captain  and  senior  surgeon,  as  the  former  would 
often  direct  the  latter  to  put  men  off  the  sick-list,  when  he  did  not  consider  they  ought 
to  be  under  treatment.  As  the  surgeon  knew  full  well  that  the  men  in  question  required 
rest  and  medical  attention,  he  always  vehemently  protested  against  such  arbitrary 
measures,  and  had  many  altercations  with  Puffeigh  upon  that  subject.  The  doctor 
argued :  "  If  a  man  is  sick  on  shore  he  is  sent  to  the  hospital,  and  no  civil  power  ever 
thinks  of  compelling  the  surgeons  to  turn  the  man  out  and  send  him  to  work  ;  therefore, 
as  a  professional  man,  I  will  never,  to  please  any  captain,  put  a  man  off  the  sick-list 
who  ought  to  be  under  medical  treatment.  I  know  I  am  under  the  command  of  the 
captain,  but  I  do  not  consider  that  his  position  entitles  him  to  direct  a  qualified  surgeon 
how  to  treat  his  patients.  I  am  not  desirous  of  opposing  the  lawful  authority  of  the 


124  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

commander ;  but  I  do  not,  will  not,  and  never  shall  acknowledge  his  right  to  dictate  to 
me  in  matters  relating  to  my  own  department,  or  influence  my  professional  opinion." 

The  Stinger  arrived  at  Hong-Kong  the  next  day,  and  Clare  was  despatched  to  the 
Post-office  for  the  mails.  Tom  anxiously  eyed  the  bags  as  he  hastened  on  board  with 
them,  hoping  for  the  best,  yet  fearing  there  would  be  a  letter  for  him,  containing  the 
sad  news  of  his  wife's  death ;  but  to  his  joy,  he  received  several  letters,  and  one  dated 
"  16th  August,"  from  which  he  learnt  that  his  wife  was  alive,  yet  did  not  give  him  any 
particulars  as  to  her  state  of  health.  However,  they  were  full  of  long  accounts  about 
his  boy  ;  and  in  one  of  them  was  a  portrait  painted  by  the  good  young  lady  who  had  been 
engaged  to  Lieutenant  Ford.  Tom  improved  from  that  day,  and  ventured  to  tell  the 
captain  that  his  words  had  come  true.  Woodward  was  delighted  to  see  the  melancholy 
face  become  animated  and  knowing  one  of  his  class  had  oppressed  the  man,  he  felt 
doubly  pleased  to  be  the  means  of  giving  the  poor  fellow  hope  in  the  future. 

Mr.  Shever  considered  himself  an  ill-used  individual,  and  would  bore  the  carpenter 
and  gunner  with  long-winded  accounts  of  his  former  greatness.  Of  course  he  was 
very  circumspect  in  his  behaviour,  knowing  he  would  be  turned  out  of  the  ship  if  the 
captain  knew  of  his  previous  conduct  towards  the  men.  Finding  it  would  not  do  to 
swear,  he  became  very  pious,  and  under  the  ministry  of  Silas  Bowler,  a  converted 
Royal  Marine,  was,  as  the  latter  gentleman  expressed  it,  "  gathered  to  the  flock."  It 
was  truly  a  wonderful  alteration,  and  one  calculated  to  give  his  shipmates  disgust  for 
the  particular  faith  to  which  the  boatswain  was  a  convert.  Like  most  illiterate  persons, 
he  took  to  the  musical  portion  of  his  belief,  and  would  sit  and  sing  hymns  for  hours 
together,  much  to  the  disgust  of  the  midshipmen,  whose  mess-room  adjoined  his  cabin ; 
and  it  was  not  an  uncommon  occurrence  to  have  the  warrant-officer  and  Silas  Bowler 
howling  a  portion  of  hymn  No.  31,  Utah  edition,  which  ran  thus: — 

"  Oh !  how  delightful  'tis  to  see 
A  sinner  turned  to  saint," 

while  the  irreverent  middies  would  drown  the  hymn  of  praise  by  singing, 

"  Oh  !  how  disgusting  'tis  to  see 
Our  boatswain  turning  saint." 

Whereupon  Shever  would  cease  his  howl,  and  pour  forth  a  jargon  of  hard  words  and 
impious  phrases,  during  the  delivery  of  which  the  mischievous  wags  in  the  grin-room 
would  groan  and  ejaculate  after  the  manner  of  the  particular  saints  of  whom  Mr.  Bowler 
was  a  shining  light.  The  boatswain  imagined  by  these  means  to  attract  the  attention  of 
his  commander  or  first  lieutenant,  but  he  was  undeceived  when  the  former  told  him 
"  that  he  did  not  wish  his  ship  turned  into  a  conventicle,"  and  the  latter  reprimanded 
him  as  follows : — 

"  I  would  be  most  loath  to  incur  the  accusation  of  insensibility  to  the  sublime  chords 
of  sacred  melody,  but  must  formally  state,  as  my  candid  opinion,  that  the  howls  which 
issue  from  your  cabin  strike  my  auricular  nerves  in  a  manner  diametrically  opposed  to 
the  suggestion  of  aught  celestial,  and  produce  an  effect  the  reverse  of  enchanting.  With 
regard  to  your  supplications  to  heaven,  I  would  strongly  suggest  the  propriety  of  their 
being  made  in  a  less  audible  manner,  as  it  is  beyond  the  bounds  of  possibility  for  me  to 
surrender  myself  to  the  soothing  influence  of  somnolence  during  the  performance  of 
your  orations." 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    "  THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE. 


125 


Upon  receiving  this  rebuke,  Mr.  Shever  proceeded  to  hia  cabin,  where  he  found 
private  Silas  Bowler,  seated  upon  his  easy  chair,  quietly  enjoying  a  nap.  "Without  a 
word  of  explanation,  he  seized  that  pious  marine,  hauled  him  into  the  steerage,  shook 
him  until  he  awoke,  then  with  a  well-directed  kick  sent  him  flying  forward,  where  that 
meek  individual  fell  upon  his  knees  and  prayed,  "  that  the  devil  might  be  cast  out  of 
that  good  man,  the  boatswain."  Having  vented  his  rage  upon  the  soldier,  Shever  took 
out  a  bottle,  filled  a  glass  with  rum,  and  drank  the  health  of  Captain  Crushe,  "  and  may 
all  such  duffers  as  some  people  perish,"  and  from  that  day  shunned  the  spirit  of  faith 
according  to  private  Silas  Bowler,  and  clave  only  to  that  more  potent  spirit  yclept  nun. 


126  BLUE   JACKETS  j    OK,    THE   ADVEA'TUBES   OF 


CHAPTER  XVIL 

UPON  finding  himself  comparatively  free,  Thompson's  spirits  rose,  and  he  chatted 
with  his  guards  in  a  most  affable  manner.  After  giving  him  to  understand  that  if  he 
made  any  attempt  to  escape  they  would  strangle  him,  he  was  allowed  to  untie  his  rope- 
collar  and  carry  it  wound  about  his  body,  under  his  clothes.  At  night  they  stopped 
at  the  residence  of  a  military  mandarin,  who  billeted  them  upon  the  keeper  of  a  tavern, 
their  order  running  as  follows : — 

"  You  Teen,  keeper  of  the  house  of  entertainment  for  travellers  called  '  The  abode  of 
ten  thousand  satisfied  desires,'  are  directed  to  afford  lodging  and  food  to  two  imperial 
soldiers  named  Yung  and  Pang,  and  their  prisoner  Kwo-chau-ho-che,  given  on  the 
ninth  day  of  the  tenth  moon,  &c.,  &c.  Respect  this. 

"(Signed)  HAN, 

"  Second  assistant  governor." 

Pang,  who  was  a  sort  of  corporal,  read  the  chop  or  order,  then  observed  with  the 
greatest  complacency,  "  that  the  fleas  of  Teen's  establishment  were  larger  and  more 
fierce  than  any  others  in  that  part  of  China,"  upon  which  Yung  retorted  that  "  they 
must  be  large  and  powerful,  to  be  able  to  bore  through  such  a  tough  skin  as  Pang's," 
and  with  many  other  merry  observations  the  soldiers  beguiled  the  journey  until  they 
arrived  at  "  The  abode  of  ten  thousand  satisfied  desires,"  which  turned  out  to  be  a 
dirty  little  inn,  situated  outside  the  walls,  near  the  execution  ground.  Yung  purchased 
a  small  portion  of  opium,  and  procuring  a  pipe  from  Teen,  was  soon  in  a  state  where 
all  prisoners  are  free.  Pang,  who  pretended  to  be  very  much  disgusted,  thereupon 
enjoined  his  prisoner  to  keep  an  eye  upon  his  comrade,  and  retired  to  an  up-stairs 
room,  where  he  indulged  in  a  debauch  of  warm  rice-spirit.  Jerry  mingled  with  the 
guests,  and  soon  found  the  place  was  a  notorious  lodging-house  for  thieves  and  low 
characters. 

As  the  soldiers  were  both  fast  asleep,  Teen  had  them  conveyed  to  a  dirty  cell  in  an 
outbuilding  ;  and  knowing  Jerry  was  their  prisoner,  directed  him  to  be  accommodated 
with  a  mat  in  the  same  apartment.  About  ten  o'clock  a  woman  brought  them  a  bowl 
of  rice,  and  a  pot  of  tea,  upon  which  the  prisoner  supped,  and  by  eleven  o'clock  all  the 
night-lights  of  the  establishment  were  extinguished,  except  the  one  in  the  cell  occupied 
by  the  soldiers  and  their  prisoner.  Finding  they  were  both  too  far  gone  to  resist,  the 
sailor  first  secured  their  wrists  and  ankles,  then  laying  them  side  by  side,  lashed  them 
together,  in  the  same  manner  as  he  would  have  done  a  hammock.  After  gagging 
them,  he  opened  the  door  and  walked  into  the  inn.  The  dogs,  aroused  by  his  entry, 
began  to  growl  and  bark,  upon  which  a  watchman  arose,  and  having  rubbed  his  eyes 
proceeded  to  open  a  door,  imagining  he  had  heard  some  one  knocking  for  admittance : 
seeing  this  the  sailor  quietly  slipped  through,  and  found  himself  in  the  street. 

After  walking  for  some  time  he  began  to  feel  weary,  but  knowing  that  if  he  did 
not  get  clear  of  the  place  by  daylight  some  one  might  identify  him,  or  notice  his  un- 
shaven head,  he  kept  right  on,  every  now  and  then  finding  himself  dozing  as  he  walked. 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      127 

At  daybreak  he  found  he  was  ascending  a  range  of  hills,  upon  the  slopes  of  which  he 
observed  large  tea-plantations.  Groups  of  girls  crossed  his  path  upon  their  -way  to 
gather  tea,  and  some  of  them  passed  jocular  remarks,  or  invited  him  to  join  them  and 
assist  in  their  labour.  About  seven  o'clock  he  met  a  travelling  barber  who,  for  a  few 
sapecks,  shaved,  trimmed,  and  shampooed  him>  that  operation  taking  place  by  the  road- 
side, and  only  attracting  the  notice  of  two  or  three  children  who  were  on  their  way  to 
school. 

When  Jerry  had  secured  his  guards,  he  had  searched  their  persons,  and  removed 
the  purse  he  found  upon  Corporal  Pang ;  justifying  this  act  upon  the  grounds  that 
when  he  was  arrested  in  Whey-chii,  these  same  soldiers  had  plundered  him  of  all 
his  money,  therefore  he  was  merely  regaining  his  own.  Having  paid  the  barber, 
he  proceeded  into  the  country,  stopping  every  now  and  then  to  refresh  himself. 
By  night  he  had  travelled  a  good  distance ;  so  imagining  himself  safe,  he  entered  a 
tea-house,  and  having  supped,  turned  in  with  about  forty  other  travellers,  and  en- 
joyed their  society  in  company  with  a  host  of  agile  tormentors.  The  room  was  a 
spacious  one,  and  at  the  upper  end  a  fat-lamp  was  kept  alight  all  night.  Jerry 
could  not  sleep,  not  being  iron-clad  like  his  companions,  so  he  sat  up  and  took  a 
survey  of  the  place.  It  was  amusing  to  watch  the  features  of  the  sleepers,  who, 
unmindful  of  the  ticklers,  were  snoring  in  a  great  variety  of  keys.  At  times,  how- 
ever, when  their  tormentors  pulled  rather  too  savagely,  a  solemn  oath  would  issue 
from  the  sleepers'  lips ;  and  upon  one  occasion  a  savage-looking  Tartar,  roused  by 
the  bite  of  some  patriarchal  and  artful  Pulex,  kicked  the  person  who  was  sleeping 
by  his  side.  The  gentleman  thus  assaulted  was  reclining  with  his  face  towards  his 
assailant,  and  as  he  received  the  kick  in  his  waist,  he  was  completely  doubled  up 
by  the  blow.  After  remaining  quiet  for  a  few  moments,  the  fellow  opened  his  eyes, 
and  being  a  peaceful  Chinaman,  upon  finding  the  person  who  kicked  him  was  a 
Tartar,  quietly  turned  over,  as  much  as  to  say,  "  Now  batter  away  if  you  will," 
but  he  declined  to  remonstrate  with  the  person  who  kicked  him.  Not  that  he  acted 
in  this  inoffensive  manner  from  want  of  feeling,  or  usually  "  when  his  brother  smote 
him  upon  the  left  cheek,  offered  him  his  right."  Had  it  been  a  Chinaman  weaker  than 
himself  who  thus  assaulted  him,  he  would  have  very  soon  retaliated,  but  the  Tartar's 
savage  face  and  burly  form  rendered  him  as  quiet  as  a  lamb. 

Thompson  was  highly  amused  with  the  performance  ;  so,  picking  up  a  straw,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  tickle  the  Tartar.  For  a  long  time  the  man  bore  it,  probably  the  irritation 
not  amounting  to  much ;  however,  at  last,  upon  the  sailor  thrusting  the  straw  up  his 
nose,  he  lifted  his  foot  and  again  kicked  the  Chinaman,  who  thereupon  assaulted  the 
celestial  next  to  him,  and  he  in  return  favoured  his  companion.  A  tremendous  row 
ensued,  upon  which  the  landlord  and  his  assistants  rushed  into  the  room,  and  laid 
about  them  with  bamboos,  until  order  was  restored. 

Long  before  daybreak  they  all  cleared  out,  and  the  sailor,  having  partaken  of  a 
light  breakfast  of  rice  and  tea,  made  for  the  hills.  After  going  a  short  distance,  he  fell 
in  with  a  party  of  tea-gatherers,  who  invited  him  to  join  them.  As  he  had  no  definite 
plan  for  the  future,  he  accepted  their  offer,  and,  receiving  a  basket,  was  soon  toiling  up 
the  hill-side.  The  business  was  one  which  required  the  labourers  to  be  at  work  by 
sunrise,  as  the  kind  of  tea  they  were  gathering  is  not  picked  when  the  sun  gets  too  far 
up.  A  light  fog  hung  about  the  hills,  and  the  faces  of  most  of  the  women  were  enve- 
,  loped  in  wrappers,  but  as  the  day  broke  they  took  off  these. cloths,  and  revealed  some 
very  pretty  countenances. 

Upon  their  arrival  at  the  plantation  to  which  the  party  were  bound,  the  leader 
appointed  the  pickers  and  carriers :  the  former  were  expert  young  girls,  who  had 


128  BLUE   JACKETS  ;    OB,    THE    ADVENTURES   OF 

been  trained  to  the  business  from  childhood,  while  the  latter  consisted  of  the  "dull- 
heads,"  or  men ;  and  as  the  sailor  was  supposed  to  be  a  poor  Cantonese,  who  could 
know  nothing  about  picking  tea,  he  was  directed  to  hold  the  basket  for  a  sprightly 
girl  named  A-tae. 

Now,  it  is  usual  for  the  girl  who  picks  the  finer  kinds  of  tea  to  be  dressed  in  much 
better  clothes  than  her  basket-holder,  and  as  A-tae  was  a  beauty,  and  tolerably  well 
off,  she  was  smartly  attired ;  true,  her  garment^  were  not  very  costly,  but  they  were 
new  and  jauntily  worn.  Her  dress  consisted  of  two  pieces,  the  usual  loose  blue  trousers 
and  wide-sleeved  jacket,  her  hair  being  braided  in  queues  which  descended  to  her 
waist,  while  her  head  was  protected  from  the  sun  by  an  immensely  wide  bamboo 
hat. 

When  the  overseer  directed  the  sailor  to  bear  her  basket  she  had  not  cast  eyes  upon  the 
latter,  having  been  listening  to  the  silly  story  of  a  companion,  so,  thinking  it  was  the 
usual  "  dull-head,"  she  waved  him  to  follow  her,  and  turned  into  one  of  the  rows ;  then 
dexterously  grasping  a  handful  of  leaves,  she  cried,  "  Oome  here  !  "  and  upon  his  plac- 
ing the  sieve-like  basket  under  her  hands,  showered  the  leaves  into  it  with  marvellous 
rapidity.  Having  exhausted  one  bush,  she  was  moving  towards  another,  when,  catch- 
ing sight  of  her  attendant,  she  uttered  a  little  scream,  and  coquettishly  turned  away 
her  head.  Seeing  her  agitation,  the  enamoured  basket-holder  inquired  if  she  were 
unwell. 

"  No  !  I'm — Come  here,  you  fright !  " 

The  girl  worked  like  lightning,  ordering  her  holder  about  in  a  most  imperious 
manner.  At  last  curiosity  overcame  her,  and  she  demanded  the  name  of  her  slave. 

"  I  have  no  name." 

"  No !  How  shall  I  call  you,  then  ?  " 

"  Call  me  Sa  "  (ugly  of  the  sort). 

"  Oh  no  !  oh  no ;  that  would  be  cruel." 

"  Call  me  Cha-tee  "  (a  mean  fellow). 

"  No,  no,  for  you  are  not  mean." 

"  What  will  you  name  me,  then  ?  "  said  Jerry,  looking  as  though  he  could  devour 
her.  "  What  you  call  me  shall  be  my  name." 

A-tae  trembled,  as  she  cast  a  timorous  glance  towards  her  basket-bearer,  and  replied, 
"  I  call  you  Sho  "  (beautiful  eyes),  saying  which  she  laughed,  and  added,  "  but  surely 
you  will  not  take  that  name  ?  " 

"  I'll  call  myself  anything  you  choose  to  name  me." 

"  Then  I  give  you  this, — Yung- Yung  "  (good-humoured  face). 

"  And  what  may  I  call  you  ?  " 

"  Me !  Don't  you  know  ?  "  said  the  pretty  girl,  looking  at  Yung-Yung  in  a  manner 
which  made  his  heart  bump  again. 

"  What !  not  know  my  name  ?  " 

"  I  do  not.     I  am  a  wanderer  and  a  stranger  here." 

"  Poor  fellow.     Have  you  no  friends  ?  " 

"  None  here.     Will  you  be  my  friend  ?  " 

"  You  don't  know  my  name,  yet  ask  me  to  be  your  friend.  Speak  lower,  and  look 
down  whtle  you  talk,  or  the  overseer  will  send  some  one  else  with  me  to-morrow." 

"  WJiat  is  your  name  ?  " 

"  A-tae." 

After  casting  his  eyes  about  in  order  to  ascertain  if  any  of  the  pickers  were  watch- 
ing, he  bent  over  the  girl,  who  was  very  deeply  engaged  in  removing  some  fine  shoots 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."     J  29 

from  the  lower  part  of  a  plant,  and  when  she  rose,  as  her  cheek  came  quite  close  to  his, 
he  kissed  it  gently,  and  said, 

"  A-tae,  I  love  you."  » 

The  girl  gave  a  nervous  little  laugh,  then  asked  him  what  he  meant. 

"  I  want  to  marry  you." 

"  Where  do  you  come  from,  Yung-Yung-Sho,  that  you  speak  thus  ?  Would  I  could 
be  given  to  one  like  you  ;  but  I  shall  be,  like  other  girls,  sent  off  to  slave  for  some  man 
of  my  own  class,  or  sold  to  a  mandarin."  (It  will  be  perceived  that  A-tae  was,  although 
a  Chinese,  an  advocate  for  woman's  rights).  "  Oh,  Yung-Yung-Sho  do  you  think 
Buddha  knows  how  badly  they  treat  us  poor  girls  ?  " 

"  Can't  you  run  away  with  me  ?  "  observed  the  now  thoroughly  "  gone  "  sailor  ; 
"  slip  off  in  the  night,  and  go  away  to  a  country  where  the  women  are  thought  as  much 
of  as  the  men." 

"  That's  where  Buddha  is,  Yung-Yung-Sho.  There  we  shall  be  men.  I  know  all 
about  that,  and  have  my  Tieh  papers  at  home.  I'm  not  as  stupid  as  most  girls.  You 
are  a  benevolent  man  thus  to  listen  to  the  nonsense  of  little  me.  But  why  do  those 
Yuen-chae  (police  runners)  point  this  way  ?  Are  you  wanted  ?  If  so,  flee.  That  way, 
that  way  ;  up  among  the  rocks,  and  hide  in  the  caves." 

Jerry  had  little  time  to  say  farewell,  as  he  noticed  the  two  soldiers,  accompanied  by 
police  runners,  making  towards  him ;  so,  after  bestowing  a  fervent  kiss  upon  the  lips  of 
the  astonished  A-tae,  he  sprang  over  the  tea  plants  and  sped  away  like  the  wind.  The 
poor  girl  sunk  upon  the  ground,  cried,  and  wrung  her  hands  like  one  demented.  Her 
companions  gathered  round,  and  finding  she  was  in  trouble,  prevailed  upon  her  to  go 
home.  Meanwhile  the  soldiers  and  their  party  chased  the  agile  sailor,  running  until 
they  got  out  of  breath;  and  when  they  last  spied  him  he  was  darting  into  a  wood, 
which  was  set  apart  for  the  use  of  Buddhist  priests,  and  where  they  felt  sure  of  bagging 
him  during  the  course  of  the  day. 

A-tae  walked  home  like  one  in  a  dream,  and  was  questioned  by  her  mother,  who 
anxiously  inquired  if  she  had  "  seen  a  spirit,"  she  looked  so  scared  and  pale.  She  had 
seen  one,  the  recollection  of  whom  would  never  again  be  absent  from  her  mind.  She  was 
in  love,  had  been  spoken  to  by  a  being,  one  of  the  opposite  sex,  who  neither  commanded 
nor  treated  her  like  an  inferior  animal.  Was  it  a  dream  ?  Was  he  not  one  of  those 
genii  who,  assuming  the  appearance  of  gods,  use  their  fatal  beauty  to  destroy  all  whom 
they  fall  in  with  ?  What  could  he  be  ? 

Poor  little  girl !  She  was  sorely  tried ;  so  taking  a  few  sticks  of  incense,  she  burnt 
them  before  the  picture  of  the  Kitchen  god,  in  order  if  possible  to  get  him  on  her  side. 
But  she  didn't  tell  her  mother  about  Yung-Yung-Sho. 

Towards  the  evening  she  became  very  ill ;  and  by  night  her  anxious  parents  sent 
for  a  doctor,  who,  after  writing  a  prescription,  submitted  it  to  them. 

"  How  much  will  it  cost?  "  demanded  the  father. 

"  Two  hundred  cash,"  gravely  replied  the  man  of  physic. 

"  Can't  you  do  it  a  little  cheaper  (  we  are  poor  people." 

"  I  don't  think  I  can.  Let  me  see.  I  can  leave  out  the  dried  rats'  tails — they  are 
costly — and  the  alligator's  blood  may  be  omitted.  Well,  say  one  hundred  cash." 

The  mother  was  a  clever  women,  and  didn't  believe  in  the  doctor's  nostrum's,  so  she 
demanded  how  much  the  gentlemen  wanted  for  the  prescription. 

"  Fifty  cash." 

"  Pay  him  and  let  him  go,  my  lord,"  she  observed  to  her  husband,  who  thereupon 
handed  over  the  cash,  and  the  doctor  departed.  When  he  was  out  of  sight  the  old 
woman  nodded  shrewdly  towards  her  husband,  as  much  as  to  infer,  "  trust  me  for 

9 


130  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVENTUKES  OF 

being  smart,"  then  having  prostrated  herself  before  the  picture  of  the  Kitchen  god, 
gravely  burnt  the  prescription,  and  pouring  some  •warm  tea  upon  the  ashes,  carried  the 
drink  to  her  daughter,  and  compelled  her  to  swallow  it,  saying  soothingly,  "  You'll  be 
all  fight  to-morrow." 

"  Oh,  my  heart,  my  hear;,"  moaned  the  poor  little  girl. 

"  Oh,  it  is  not  your  heart,  A-tae,  it's  your  brain  that  has  become  oiled  by  the  sun. 
You'll  be  all  right  now,  as  it  will  congeal  again  ;  "  and  having  delivered  herself  of  this 
very  Chinese  opinion,  the  old  lady  withdrew,  leaving  the  poor  child  to  combat  a  disease 
as  old  as  the  hills,  and  for  which  there  has  never  been  but  one  cure  since  the  world 
began.  Nothing  but  the  possession  of  the  loved  one  will  satisfy  the  poor  souls,  who, 
like  A-tae,  suffer  from  this  awful  affliction.  No  doctor  can  cure  them, — possibly  the 
priest  may, — but  not  the  man  of  medicine. 

When  the  girl's  mother  sa\v  her  husband  the  latter  did  not  ask  how  tared  his 
darling  A-tae.  She  was  but  a  girl,  and  her  death  would  not  cause  him.  to  shed  a  tear, 
but  the  mother  made  tip  her  mind  to  one  thing,  as  she  informed  her  help.  "  If  that 
girl  gets  a  little  better,  I'll  take  her  to  Nan-woo,"  a  very  sanctified  Buddhist  bonze, 
who  lived  in  a  hole  in  a  rock  situated  in  the  Buddhist  grove,  distant  about  eight  li  from 
her  house.  But  A-tae  became  worse,  so  they  bled  her.  This  took  away  what  little 
strength  she  had  left,  and  the  gossips  said  she  would  soon  salute  heaven.  Upon  the 
afternoon  of  the  fifth  day  some  of  the  women  round  her  bed  were  speaking  about  the 
hunt  after  the  stranger  who  had  been  working  with  A-tae  upon  the  day  she  was  taken 
sick,  and  after  observing  that  "  he  must  have  bewitched  the  child,"  they  mentioned 
something  which  had  a  wonderful  effect  upon  the  girl,  and  which  caused  her  to  rally 
from  that  moment. 

Jerry,  having  distanced  his  pursuers,  determined  to  search  for  the  caves  of  which 
A-tae  had  spoken.  There  was  little  difficulty  about  the  matter,  as  the  rocks  were  full 
of  them  ;  so  having  found  one  which  he  thought  would  suit,  he  quietly  stretched  him- 
self upon  the  floor  and  went  to  sleep.  As  there  was  nothing  to  encourage  the  presence 
of  the  pulex  family,  he  slumbered  without  annoyance.  After  dreaming  of  A-tae,  and 
imagining  they  were  about  to  united  at  the  altar,  with  Mr.  Shever  acting 
as  best  man,  and  Miss  Pferdscreptern  as  bridesmaid,  Mary  Ann  being  present 
in  charge  of  a  small  family  of  Chinese  children,  one  of  whom  strongly  resembled 
Captain  Puffeigh,  the  bewildered  sailor  woke,  and  upon  rubbing  his  eyes, 
discovered  that  he  was  being  watched  by  one  of  the  police  runners,  who,«when  he  saw 
him  open  his  eyes,  gave  a  loud  alarm.  Jerry  got  up,  stretched  his  limbs,  and  then, 
walking  to  the  entrance,  took  a  critical  survey  of  his  position.  The  cave  was  dug  out 
of  the  limestone  rock  and  was  approached  by  two  paths,  while  in  front  was  a  steep 
decline  down  which  it  was  imposible  to  escape.  Gazing  to  the  left  he  saw  Corporal 
Pang,  supported  by  a  police  runner  armed  with  a  short  sword,  while  approaching  upon 
his  right  was  private  Yung,  similarly  assisted.  Thompson  whistled. 

Pang  suddenly  stopped,  and  called  upon  him  to  surrender. 

Yung  bawled  to  him  to  give  up  at  once,  or  he'd  kill  him  when  he  got  hold  of  him. 

The  undaunted  sailor  only  whistled  all  the  louder.  Seeing  he  was  quietly  awaiting 
their  arrival,  as  if  determined  to  'give  himself  up,  the  soldiers  clambered  up  the  hill 
until  Yung  who  was  nearest  him,  stopped  to  breathe,  upon  which  Thompson  rushed 
at  him,  bowled  him  over  like  a  ninepin,  floored  his  attendant  with  a  blow  in  the  chest 
and  then  darted  down  the  pathway  and  disappeared  from  sight ;  and  Pang  arrived  at 
the  top  of  the  hill  to  find  his  companion  in  arms  hors  de  combat  Yung  being  picked 
up  by  his  comrade,  and  having  acquainted  him  with  the  particulars  of  the  assault,  they 
again  set  off  in  search  of  the  troublesome  western  devil.  It  was  a  smart  chase,  as  the 


.1.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      131 

runners  knew  every  inch  of  the  ground ;  and  after  having  sighted  him  several  times, 
but  to  lose  him  again  the  next  moment,  one  of  them  saw  him  disappear  up  a  sort  of 
ravine,  from  which  they  were  certain  he  could  not  escape. 

"  It  is  the  retreat  of  Nan-woo,  a  very  holy  bonze,  and  he  is  as  safe  in  that  hole  as  a 
rat  is  in  a  bottle,"  observed  one  of  the  police. 

"  He  is  a  wizard,  and  will  fly  out  if  all  other  means  fail  him.  Oh,  I  know  we  shan't 
catch  him,"  grumbled  Yung. 

"  How  can  we  fail,  your  exoellency  ?  "  replied  one  of  the  attendants.  "  That  path 
leads  to  a  high  rock,  in  which  is  a  small  hole,  where  Nan-woo  entered  fifty  'years  ago. 
On  each  side  of  the  path  is  a  precipitous  rock,  which  no  man  can  climb ;  therefore, 
your  foreign  devil,  upon  finding  the  path  leads  to  nowhere,  will  retrace  his  steps.  Let 
us,  therefore,  crouch  down  upon  either  side  of  the  rocks  at  the  entrance,  place  a  cord 
across  the  pathway,  await  his  return,  and  when  he  arrives  we  will  lift  the  line,  and  trip 
him  up." 

"  Capital,  capital ! "  cried  the  soldiers.  Thereupon  the  party  divided,  and  crouching 
down  behind  the  gigantic  boulders  which  lay  beside  the  entrance  to  the  gulch,  string 
in  hand  awaited  the  return  of  the  sailor.  They  calculated  ht  would  possibly  have  a 
little  chat  with  the  bonze,  then,  finding  there  was  no  other  outlet,  would  fall  into  their 
hands,  and  be  captured  without  difficulty.  Every  now  and  then  some  noise,  probably 
caused  by  rabbits,  would  make  them  start  and  clutch  their  line,  but  after  waiting  a  con- 
siderable time,  hunger  reminded  them  that  they  had  started  upon  the  expedition  without 
taking  breakfast,  and  they  determined  to  proceed  up  the  ravine,  and  boldly  bring  the 
"  eccentric  one"  to  bay 

Having  explored  nearly  the  entire  length  of  the  place,  they  turned  a  bend  in  the 
pathway,  and  found  themselves  before  the  retreat  of  Nan-woo ;  but  where  was  the 
sailor. 

"  I  expect  he  is  in  there  along  with  the  bonze,"  whispered  Yung. 

"  Bosh  !  How  could  he  get  in  there  ?  Why,  it  is  five  feet  from  the  ground,  and 
the  hole  is  too  small." 

"  Ask  the  hermit  if  he  has  seen  a  man  ?  "  put  in  one  of  the  runners. 

Upon  this  Pang,  who  did  not  believe  in  Buddhism,  and  consequently  had  little 
respect  for  its  bonzes,  advanced  to  the  opening,  and  rapping  his  sword  handle  against 
the  screen,  demanded  if  the  old  gentleman  inside  had  seen  a  fellow  trying  to  climb  up 
the  rocks  which  surrounded  his  cell. 

Fumbling  at  the  slab  of  limestone  which  formed  the  screen  before  the  entrance  or 
pigeon-hole  of  his  cell,  repeating  as  he  did  so  the  words  "  o-mi-tu-fuh,  o-mi-tu-fuh,"  the 
old  bonze  at  last  succeeded  in  pushing  the  panel  into  a  hole,  cut  out  for  its  reception  in 
the  side  of  the  rock,  and  then  asked  the  soldier  what  he  wanted,  upon  which  the  latter 
repeated  his  question. 

The  old  bonze  looked  at  his  interrogator  for  some  moments ;  at  length  appearing  to 
understand  him,  replied,  "  My  son,  since  first  I  entered  this  abode,  these  eyes  have  never 
beheld  a  man  attempt  to  scale  those  rocks — o-mi-tu-fuh,  o-mi-tu  fuh." 

"  Come  along,  Pang ;  he's  cracked.  Let  us  seek  the  fellow  in  some  other  place  ;  or, 
better  still,  we  will  return,  or  join  the  first  party  of  rebels  we  come  across,  as  it  will 
never  do  for  us  to  go  back  to  our  native  town,  and  say  we  have  lost  him." 

After  a  strict  search  they  gave  the  matter  up,  and  dismissing  the  police  runners,  pro- 
ceeded to  the  nearest  rebel  town,  where  they  were  received  with  open  arms  by  Ma-chow 
wang,  who  commanded  the  insurgents  in  that  district. 

When  the  sailor  entered  the  ravine,  he  imagined  it  had  another  outlet,  but  upon 
discovering  the  small  oven-like  opening  in  the  rock  at  the  end  (the  same  being  open  at 


132  BLUE   JACKETS  J    OR,    THE   ADVENTURES   OF 

the  time),  he,  taking  it  for  the  entrance  to  a  burial  vault,  after  running  to  give  himself 
impetus,  sprang  up,  clutched  the  ledge  with  his  hands,  then  forcing  in  his  head  and 
shoulders,  wriggled  through,  and  dropped  upon  the  floor. 

Nan-woo  was  slumbering,  but  in  his  sleep  repeating  the  words  "  o-mi-tu-fuh ; "  upon 
which  Jerry  shook  him,  then  prostrated  himself,  and,  to  the  best  of  his  ability,  repeated 
the  same  words  to  the  astonished  bonze,  who  looked  at  him  with  horror,  and  quavering- 
ly  demanded  who  he  was. 

"  O-mi-tu-fuh ;  o-mi-tu-fuh !  "  ejaculated  the  prostrate  sailor.  However,  at  length  he 
got  up,  and,  in  his  best  Chinese,  prayed  the  bonze  would  save  his  life,  and  hide  him 
from  his  enemies. 

Nan-woo  was  a  merciful  old  fellow ;  and  as  he  had  long  desired  an  assistant,  or  disci- 
ple, agreed  to  shelter  the  fugitive.  Having  instructed  him  to  hold  his  tongue,  the  old 
bonze  took  his  position  behind  the  screen,  and  awaited  the  arrival  of  the  soldiers  ;  how 
he  got  rid  of  them  has  been  described. 

When  night  came  the  old  fellow  lit  a  lamp,  and  Thompson  had  an  opportunity  of 
seeing  what  his  quarters  were  like.  The  cell  ~was  an  irregular  apartment,  cut  out  of  the 
solid  limestone  rock.  There  was  no  furniture,  but  an  old  mat,  while  a  water  jar,  and  an 
earthen  chatty,  containing  a  few  handsful  of  dry  rice,  were  the  only  kitchen  articles  the 
bonze  possessed. 

Jerry  surveyed  the  latter  for  a  few  moments,  then  asked  if  that  was  what  he  lived 
on  ?  upon  which  the  old  man  nodded,  and  taking  a  handful  of  rice,  threw  a  few  grains 
into  his  mouth,  then  drank  a  sup  of  water. 

"  Well,"  exclaimed  the  sailor  in  his  native  language,  "  here's  a  go.  I've  been  and 
signed  articles  to  &  toad  in  a  hole,  and  got  to  live  in  a  box  office,  on  dry  rice  and  water." 

Their  frugal  meal  having  been  partaken  of,  the  old  fellow  chin-chinned  his  disciple, 
and  with  the  assurance  that  no  man  would  dare  come  up  the  gully  at  night  (as  he  had 
declared  it  was  haunted),  the  old  gentleman  dropped  down  upon  his  knees,  and 
o-mi-tu-fuh'd  at  such  a  rate,  that  Jerry  set  it  to  music,  and  joined  in  a  sort  of  chorus. 

"I  wonder  what  the  deuce  it  means?  I  used  to  hear  poor  Jow  a  saying  of  it.  O- 
mi-tu-fuh  (stretching  himself,  and  yawning) ;  don't  I  wish  I  had  a  tooth  full  of 
grog." 

When  the  sailor  awoke  the  next  morning  he  found  the  old  bonze  still  at  it, — 
"  o-mi-tu-fuh,  o-mi-tu-fuh ! "  and  he  kept  it  up  all  day,  repeating  the  words  in  a 
mechanical  sort  of  manner,  which  at  times  greatly  irritated  his  companion. 

About  ten  o'clock  a  woman  came,  and  asked  what  she  should  do  to  obtain  luck. 

"  Bring  a  dish  of  boiled  rice  and  some  tea,  and  place  them  in  the  road  before  my 
cell,  as  an  offering  to  the  evil  spirits.  Do  this  daily  for  a  week." 

When  she  had  departed  another  arrived,  and  the  sailor  amused  himself,  and 
improved  his  knowledge  of  the  language  by  listening  to  their  wants.  At  last  one  came 
whose  story  caused  the  man  to  be  all  ears.  It  was  A-tae's  mother,  who  thus  detailed 
her  daughter's  symptoms. 

"  She  has  devils  in  her  brain,  who  speak  for  her,  and  I  fear  she  will  die." 

Nan-woo,  who  had  great  faith  in  a  youthful  constitution,  gave  the  afflicted  mother 
two  slips  of  bamboo,  upon  one  of  which  was  written,  "  Decline  present  benefit,  and 
receive  greater  reward  in  future,"  while  the  other  ran  as  follows :  "  Ten  thousand 
devils  are  not  as  tormenting  as  a  bad  heart." 

A-tae's  mamma  read  these,  and  accepted  them  as  the  words  of  an  oracle,  of  course 
torturing  their  meaning  to  suit  her  daughter's  case. 

"  When  A-tae  gets  well,  what  shall  she  do  ?  " 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    "THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE."  133 

"  Bring  me  every  morning,  for  one  month,  a  basket  of  fruit  and  some  young  tea, 
then  I  will  assure  her  perfect  health." 

Jerry  gave  a  sigh  of  relief.     "  I'll  see  her  again  somehow,"  he  thought. 

It  was  a  few  days  after  this  that  the  gossips  were  chatting  around  A-tae's  mat,  and 
the  following  is  what  they  said :  "  Oh,  Mrs.  So-and-so,  have  you  heard  the  news  ?  You 
remember  how  two  soldiers  hunted  the  man  who  frightened  this  poor  child  so  ?  Well, 
they  chased  him  to  Nan-woo's  hermitage,  and  the  bonze  told  them  as  soon  as  the  thing 
saw  him  it  burst  into  a  flame  and  vanished." 

"  Did  you  ever  ?  "  cried  one  gossip. 

"  Bless  us  !  "  said  another. 

And  little  A-tae  winked  behind  their  backs. 

"  Oh,  splendid  Yung-Yung-Sho,  I  shall  see  you  again,  my  lord,  my  emperor,  my 
deity.  I  shall  live  if  I  can  only  look  upon  you  now  and  then.  We  will  be  like  the 
Neih,  who  enjoy  sublime  love  by  merely  glancing  at  each  other.  0  dazzling  Sho  ! 
You  shall  be  my  god,  and  I  will  burn  incense  to  you  day  and  night.  My  whole  frame 
thrills  with  exquisite  delight  when  I  hear  your  voice.  My  eyes  light  up  like  lamps  at 
night  when  I  view  you,  Sho.  Oh,  my  absorbing  god,  never  look  coldly  upon  A-tae. 
You  will  always  speak  gently  to  me,  will  you  not  ?  Always  be  so  kind  and  tender  to 
your  little  A-tae,  who  loves  you  from  your  queue  to  your  shoes."  Thus  apostrophized 
the  happy  girl,  and  it  was  no  wonder  old  Nan-woo's  charms  worked,  for  Cupid  was 
directing  them ;  and  as  musk  overpowers  every  other  odour,  so,  beside  love,  all 
pleasures  in  this  life  are  utterly  dwarfed  and  lost.  'Twas  love  nearly  caused  the  death 
of  A-tae,  and  the  same  potent  spell  restored  her  to  life  and  hope. 

"  Now,  whether  you  like  it  or  not,  you  shall  visit  Nan-woo  next  Week,"  observed  the 
girl's  mother. 

"  I'll  try,"  dutifully  replied  A-tae.  "I'll  go,  mother,  even  if  it  kills  me.  I'd  rather 
die  than  displease  my  parents."  Cunning  little  A-tae ! 


134  BLUE  JACKETS;  OR,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 


CHAPTER  XVm. 

"  Having  received  information  that  a  notorious  pirate,  named  Yaou-chung  (short- 
tailed  ruffian)  is  operating  upon  the  coast  between  Chusan  and  Amoy,  you  are  hereby 
ordered  to  proceed  from  Chinhae  (where  it  is  expected  you  will  receive  this  dispatch), 
and  carefully  examine  the  coasts,  particularly  about  Hae-tan  Island.  In  the  event  of 
your  capturing  the  pirate,  you  are  directed  to  deliver  him  to  the  Taontai  of  Amoy, 
who  will  dispose  of  him  as  he  sees  fit,  the  pirate  having  a  short  time  since  seized  a 
passenger  junk,  on  board  of  which  were  fourteen  mandarins  belonging  to  that  place, 
whom  he  enclosed  in  an  iron  cage  and  burnt  alive.  As  we  wish  to  show  our  power  in 
these  seas,  it  is  desirable  that  you  totally  exterminate  the  band,  and  level  their  settle- 
ment to  the  ground." 

"  A  very  nice  little  job,  is  it  not,  Russell  ?  "  observed  Woodward,  who  had  just 
received  the  above  dispatch  from  the  admiral  at  Hong-Kong. 

"  As  you  most  logically  observe,  sir,  the  occupation  does  most  fully  merit  the  title 
you  so  aptly  apply  to  it,  of  a  nice  little  job,  and  it  will  be  as  well  to  attempt  the  matter 
without  procrastination." 

"  There,  there,  my  dear  Russell,  why  not  say  we've  got  to  do  it,  and  will  do  it 
well  ?  " 

"  That,  sir,  would,  no  doubt,  be  a  concise  manner  of  expressing  it,  but  I  prefer  to 
adorn  my  language  with  more  classical  and  florid  expressions." 

Upon  hearing  this  reply,  the  good-tempered  captain  nodded  to  his  eccentric  lieuten- 
ant, and  directed  the  ship  to  be  got  ready  for  sea.  In  a  short  time  the  anchors  were  up, 
and  the  Stinger  steaming  towards  Hae-tan,  every  one  being  upon  the  qui  vive,  and 
anxious  to  fall  in  with  the  notorious  pirate.  As  Woodward  anticipated  some  warm 
•work  when  he  met  the  freebooter,  he  ordered  all  useless  top-hamper  to  be  stowed  below, 
the  top-gallant  yards  and  masts  struck,  and  rigging  snaked,  intending  to  use  steam 
alone  in  his  trip  down  the  coast. 

After  a  careful  examination  of  the  coast,  and  hearing  some  horrible  tales  of  the 
cruelties  perpetrated  by  Yaou-chung,  Woodward  arrived  off  Hae-tan  at  dusk  one 
evening ;  and  having  slowly  steamed  across  to  the  main  land,  anchored  until  daylight 
the  next  morning.  About  five  bells  in  the  middle  watch,  some  junks  passed,  when  he 
quietly  turned  out  his  men,  not  a  sound  being  allowed  or  light  shown,  and  the  crew 
learnt  that  the  piratical  fleet  was  sailing  in,  and  that  by  daybreak  an  action  was 
inevitable. 

It  was  impossible  to  distinguish  the  junks  with  the  naked  eye,  but  with  his  night 
glass,  Mr.  Beauman  made  out  nine  large  vessels,  on  board  of  which  the  Chinese, 
•unaware  of  the  presence  of  an  enemy,  were  firing  crackers  and  beating  gongs  in  a  most 
unguarded  manner.  When  they  were  out  of  hearing,  Captain  Woodward  got  up 
anchor,  and  hugging  the  land,  crept  after  them,  and  at  daybreak  saw  the  last  of  the 
fleet  put  up  its  helm  and  run  into  port.  In  a  few  moments  the  Stinger  was  tearing 
away  at  full  speed  for  the  place,  the  men  watching  their  captain,  who,  assisted  by  the 
master,  manoeuvred  the  ship  splendidly  ;  and  although  the  odds  were  eight  to  one,  no 
one  doubted  his  ability  to  do  all  he  might  undertake.  Every  one  seemed  impressed 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    "THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE.  135 

with  a  consciousness  of  responsibility,  and  appeared  fully  determined  to  do  his  duty ; 
and  when  the  ship  swept  round  the  point,  and  they  found  themselves  in  the  entrance  of  a 
large  bay,  which  was  studded  all  over  with  junks,  although  they  felt  inclined  to  cheer, 
they  held  their  peace,  knowing,  by  the  eyes  of  their  commander,  that  they  must  repress 
their  enthusiasm. 

Woodward  stood  upon  the  bridge,  glass  in  hand,  and  gave  his  orders  as  calmly  as  he 
would  have  done  had  he  been  entering  Hong-Kong  harbour.  At  last  he  suddenly  rang 
upon  the  engine-room  bell  the  signal  to  "  stop  her,"  but  before  they  could  do  this  the 
ship  struck  upon  a  mud  bank,  and  at  that  moment  the  pirates  sighted  her,  and  altering 
their  course,  turned  back  and  opened  fire.  It  was  a  trying  time :  the  vessel  swinging 
across  the  passage,  and  forming  as  it  were  a  target  for  their  guns.  After  a  while  the 
junks  suddenly  ceased  firing,  and  bout  ship,  when,  having  sailed  some  distance  up  the 
bay,  they  formed  in  two  lines,  and  again  bore  down  towards  the  Stinger,  the  execution 
of.  this  manoeuvre  occupying  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour. 

Having  in  vain  tried  to  steam  off,  and  after  running  his  crew  backward  and  forward 
upon  the  upper  deck,  Woodward  ordered  the  foremost  guns  to  be  transported  aft,  and 
then  repeating  his  tactics,  found  the  ship  once  more  floated,  whereupon  the  guns  were 
returned  to  their  proper  positions,  and  they  awaited  the  arrival  of  the  pirates,  who  were 
about  a  mile  distant.  Upon  her  starboard  bow  were  five  large  junks,  the  foremost  of 
which  was  doubtless  the  flagship,  it  being  beautifully  painted  and  gilded,  while  on 
the  port  bow  were  four  smaller  craft  letting  off  crackers,  and  making  a  great  din  with 
their  gongs.  When  their  guns  arrived  within  range  they  commenced  firing  their  bow 
chasers,  Woodward  surveying  them,  through  his  glass  as  coolly  as  though  they  were  per- 
forming their  evolutions  for  his  amusement.  The  shot  flew  over  the  Stinger,  and  now  and 
then  one  would  strike  her  hull,  but  there  stood  the  captain  quiet  and  undaunted,  while 
his  men,  taking  example  from  him,  were  as  still  as  statues.  Suddenly  a  heavy  shot  struck 
the  funnel,  near  which  he  was  standing,  and  cut  a  piece  clean  out  of  it,  when  he  quietly 
lifted  the  handle  of  the  engine-room  bell,  and  rang  out,  "  Go  ahead,  full  speed,"  then 
waved  his  orders  to  the  first  lieutenant  and  master,  stationed  along  the  deck,  who 
transmitted  them  to  the  men  at  the  wheel. 

In  a  short  time  they  reached  the  junks,  but  still  no  signal  was  given  to  fire,  al- 
though the  pirates  were  blazing  away  furiously,  and  some  stray  shots  struck  the 
hull  and  rigging.  The  men,  who  were  all  crouched  down  behind  their  guns,  won- 
dered when  they  were  to  commence,  and  now  and  then  would  peer  over  the  pieces 
and  watch  the  unmoved  commander.  At  last,  just  as  they  got  abreast  of  the  foremost 
junks,  between  which  he  had  steered,  the  words  "Commence  firing"  rang  out  from 
Woodward's  lips,  and  at  the  same  instant  he  signalled  "  Stop  her  "  to  the  engineers. 

The  men  sprang  up  with  a  cheer  of  defiance,  and  poured  a  discharge  of  grape 
and  canister  into  the  junks  on  either  side,  ^ash)  bang  (flash — flash — flash)  bang — 
bang — bang — (flash)  bang ;  and  the  excited  sailors  loaded  and  fired  with  tremendous 
energy.  In  a  very  slfort  time  a  thick  pall  of  smoke  completely  enveloped  the  ship, 
and  with  great  difficulty  the  captain  managed  to  keep  her  in  position  between  the 
line  of  junks — she  in  the  mean  time  drifting  slowly  ahead.  After  the  first  few 
discharges  the  men  lost  their  hearing  through  the  stunning  reports,  and  would 
vainly  bawl  at  each  other,  while  their  bodies  were  grimed  with  the  smoke  of  the 
powder,  every  one  of  them  being  stripped  to  the  waist.  The  powder-monkeys  were 
as  active  as  their  namesakes,  feeling  their  way  in  the  thick  smoke,  so  as  to  avoid 
being  knocked  down  by  the  rammers  or  sponges,  and  cautiously  treading  clear  of 
the  tackle  laid  along  the  decks.  It  was  wonderful  how  clever  the  youngsters  were, 
and  with  what  accuracy  they  would  return  to  their  own  giins,  although  it  was 


13t>  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  AUVENTUKES  OF 

impossible  to  see  them.  The  flashes,  which  at  first  dazzled  their  eyes,  now  merely 
made  them  blink  for  a  moment,  while  their  dulled  ears  only  heard  a  faint  boom, 
and  after  a  time  did  not  notice  even  that. 

Woodward  sprang  up  aloft,  and  saw  the  ship  was  heading  right,  and  that  the  first 
two  junks  which  they  had  passed  were  on  fire.  Upon  his  return  to  the  deck  he  met 
the  master,  who  bawled  something  in  his  ear ;  "but  as  he  could  not  understand  what  he 
aaid.*  he  motioned  him  to  go  aloft,  and  keep  a  look-out. 

Although  the  Stinger  steamed  quite  slowly  between  the  lines  of  junks,  she  had  not 
lost  a  man ;  and  the  pirates  being  unable  to  depress  their  guns  sufficiently  to  hit  the 
ship  very  often,  had  actually  been  firing  into  each  other.  When  Woodward  found 
that  the  shots  were  striking  the  ship  in  an  oblique  direction  he  rang  the  signal,  "  Q-o 
ahead,  full  speed,"  and  in  a  short  time  was  clear  of  the  junks,  which,  however,  kept 
firing  away  at  each  other  for  some  thirty  minutes. 

After  they  discovered  their  mistake  he  came  to  anchor,  and  putting  on  a  spring, 
raked  them  fore  and  aft  with  grape  and  canister.  In  a  short  time  the  two  lines  ef 
junks  closed  upon  each  other ;  and  as  they  were  nearly  all  on  fire,  the  pirates  aban- 
doned them,  and  took  to  the  water.  Much  to  Woodward's  chagrin,  he  observed  that 
the  big  junk,  which  he  supposed  was  commanded  by  Yaou-chung  in  person,  had 
managed  to  put  out  her  fire,  and  was  escaping  through  the  passage  to  the  sea  ;  how- 
ever, as  it  was  impossible  to  pass  the  burning  vessels,  he  steamed  up  the  bay,  and 
landed  at  a  town  about  five  miles  from  the  entrance. 

The  Taontai  came  down  to  receive  him,  and  Woodward  found  that  the  pirates  had 
that  morning  entered  the  place  to  collect  tribute  when  they  were  overtaken  and 
destroyed  by  the  Stinger ;  and  so  grateful  were  the  townspeople,  or  rather  their  gover- 
nor, that  he  offered  the  ransom  money  to  the  captain,  who  of  course  declined  the  gift. 
Woodward  did  not  want  to  risk  his  ship  too  near  the  burning  junks,  and  he  showed  his 
prudence,  for  about  9  A.M.  two  of  them  blew  up,  and  shortly  afterwards  the  others 
followed  ;  and  as  the  explosions  seemed  to  blow  out  every  vestige  of  flame,  they  floated 
about  the  bay  mere  shapeless  hulks,  and  became  a  prey  to  the  swarms  of  thieves,  who 
went  out  of  the  city  in  boats  to  pick  up  wood  or  any  loot  which  they  might  be  lucky 
enough  to  come  across. 

Seeing  the  mouth  of  the  bay  clear,  the  captain  bade,  the  civil  Taontai  adieu,  and 
steamed  out  to  sea  in  search  of  Yaou-chung's  junk.  Upon  clearing  the  headland  at 
the  mouth  of  the  harbour  they  beheld  the  pirate  with  all  sail  set  standing  out  to  sea, 
but  as  soon  as  he  saw  them  he  trimmed  his  sails,  and  ran  behind  Haetan.  Now, 
Woodward  knew  there  was  no  shelter  for  the  pirate  upon  the  weather  side  of  the  island, 
so  he  altered  his  course,  and  steamed  along  to  leeward,  expecting  to  catch  the  junk  as  it 
rounded  the  opposite  point ;  but  Yaou-chung  was  too  smart  for  him,  as  he  had 
anchored,  it  being  a  calm  day,  just  round  the  point  behind  which  Woodward  saw  him 
disappear. 

Having  waited  for  two  hours,  the  captain  proceeded  round  the  further  point,  and, 
to  his  annoyance,  saw  the  pirate  standing  out  to  sea,  with  his  sails  so  closely  hauled, 
that  he  seemed  to  be  going  in  the  wind's  eye.  Now,  every  nautical  writer  has  described 
a  stern  chase,  and  doubtless  the  old  adage  "  A  stern  chase  is  a  long  chase  "  has  been 
sufficiently  hackneyed,  but  it  was  a  very  long  one  upon  this  occasion,  as  it  must  be 
remembered  the  Stinger  was  only  an  auxiliary  screw,  and  it  was  quite  dusk  before  they 
overhauled  the  plucky  Chinaman. 

*  Mr.  Beauman  informed  the  captain  that  he  need  not  fear  the  pirates  throwing  tire-pots  upon  his 
decks,  as  none  of  them  had  the  usual  basket  (from  which  they  throw  those  missiles)  at  their  mast- 
heads. 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG-    "  THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE."  137 

Woodward  -was  at  his  post,  and  had  given  instructions  to  the  master  to  lay  the  ship 
alongside  the  junk ;  and  taking  command  forward  of  the  starboard  watch  of  boarders 
himself,  instructed  Lieutenant  Russell  to  head  those  of  the  port  watch,  who  were 
ordered  to  board  the  pirate  abaft,  directing  the  men  to  crouch  behind  the  nettings  until 
they  struck  the  junk.  Forward,  the  captain  of  the  forecastle  was  securing  the  end  of  a 
chain,  to  which  was  fastened  a  grappling-iron,  and  abaft,  the  captain  of  the  afterguard 
was  similarly  employed.  The  Stinger  showed  no  light,  and  made  no  sound,  save  that 
caused  by  the  regular  beat  of  her  screw.  Suddenly  the  junk  put  about,  and  tried  to 
rake  the  ship,  but  Woodward  was  too  good  a  sailor  to  allow  his  enemy  to  catch  him 
asleep,  and  the  pirate  threw  his  shot  away  upon  the  water. 

After  various  manoeuvres,  too  tedious  to  describe  here,  the  gallant  captain  at  last 
got  his  ship  in  exactly  the  position  he  wanted  her,  and  putting  on  full  steam,  ran  her 
crash  into  the  bows  of  the  junk.  Up  sprang  the  captain  of  the  forecastle,  and  the 
grappling-iron  was  firmly  secured  in  the  side  hamper  of  the  pirate,  upon  which 
Woodward  shouting  to  his  men,  "  Come  on,  my  lads  ! "  leapt  sword  in  hand  on  board  the 
junk,  landing  his  party  upon  the  forecastle,  from  which  they  drove  the  pirates  with 
great  slaughter.  The  Stinger  was  then  laid  alongside,  and  with  a  loud  hurrah,  Lieu- 
tenant Russell,  led  his  men  over  the  hammock-netting  abaft,  obtaining  in  a  few  moments 
possession  of  the  poop.  The  pirates,  driven  to  the  body  of  the  junk,  fought  like  demons, 
and  twice  repulsed  the  Stingers,  once  nearly  recovering  possession  of  the  poop,  which 
was,  however,  gallantly  held  by  the  first  lieutenant. 

When  Yaou-chung  found  he  was  cornered,  he  conceived  the  bold  idea  of  trying  to 
board  the  Stinger  ;  so,  giving  instructions  to  his  men,  he,  in  spite  of  the  shower  of 
pistol-balls  and  musketry  which  was  poured  upon  him  from  the  poop  and  forecastle, 
succeeded  in  boarding  the  ship,  before  the  master,  who  was  in  command,  became  aware 
of  his  manoeuvre.  Beauman  was  attending  to  the  after  grapnel,  when  he  saw  the  pirates 
pour  over  the  nettings  just  by  the  main  hatchway.  Without  a  moment's  hesitation  he 
darted  below,  ran  forward  upon  the  lower  deck,  sprang  up  the  fore  hatchway,  and 
scrambling  on  board  the  junk,  told  the  captain  of  the  pirate's  move. 

"  All  aboard  ! "  shouted  Woodward.  Then  directing  two  of  the  men  to  cast  off  the 
grapnel,  he  abandoned  the  junk,  and  drove  the  pirates  aft  upon  the  quarter-deck  of  the 
Stinger;  the  men  who  had  cast  off  the  grapnel  on  board  the  junk,  running  aft  and 
telling  the  first  lieutenant  the  news.  Russell  thereupon  placed  his  men  so  as  to  cut  the 
pirates  down  as  they  were  driven  oif  the  ship's  decks  abaft.  As  all  this  was  done  upon 
a  starlight  night,  the  Stingers  could  just  make  out  friends  from  foes,  although  at  times 
the  pirates  and  crew  got  a  little  mixed,  and  even  assaulted  their  own  shipmates. 

Yaou-chung  led  his  men  like  a  tiger,  and  certainly  fought  well ;  but  just  as  he 
reached  the  wheel  a  light  shot  up  011  board  the  junk,  and  Woodward  saw  him  motioning 
his  men  to  press  forward  and  attack  the  sailors  again.  With  a  loud  cheer  the  Stingers 
threw  themselves  upon  the  foe,  and  their  captain,  wielding  a  cutlass  which  he  had 
taken  from  one  of  his  men,  cut  Yaou-chung  down  with  a  swinging  blow.  When  the 
pirates  saw  their  leader  fall,  they  surrendered,  and  within  a  quarter  of  an  hour  seventy- 
three  of  them  were  secured  and  put  in  irons,  together  with  Yaou-chung,  the  cut  given 
by  the  commander  having  more  stunned  than  otherwise  injured  him,  his  skull  being 
thick  enough  to  stand  a  chop  from  a  cutlass. 

When  all  was  quiet,  they  carefully  examined  the  prize,  which  was  found  to  be  filled 
with  valuable  plunder ;  then  they  threw  the  dead  overboard,  and  taking  her  in  tow, 
proceeded  towards  Amoy,  where  they  arrived  within  eight-and-forty  hours  after  the 
capture  of  the  junk. 

The  notorious  Yaou-chung  and  his  associates  were  duly  handed  over  to  the  Taoiitai, 


138  BLUE  JACKETS;  OR,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

after  which  the  Stinger  refitted  and  stopped  up  the  shot-holes  in  her  sides.  She  had 
been  hulled  eighteen  times,  but  upon  mustering  her  crew  after  the  action,  only  thirteen 
casualties  were  reported,  not  one  of  which  proved  fatal.  One  man  lost  a  limb,  and 
another  three  of  his  fingers,  but  otherwise  the  wounds  were  slight.  Of  course  it  was 
by  the  merest  good  fortune  they  escaped  as  tney  did,  for  had  the  ship,  when  between 
the  junks,  been  but  for  a  moment  in  such  a  position  that  their  shot  could  have  taken 
effect,  no  doubt  her  decks  would  have  been  swept. 

It  was  a  bold  action,  and  the  merchants  of  Amoy,  to  show  their  appreciation  of 
Woodward's  gallantry,  offered  him  a  service  of  plate,  which  he  courteously,  yet  firmly, 
declined,  alleging  that  his  officers  and  men  hid  quite  as  much  to  do  with  destroying 
the  pirates  as  himself.  He,  however,  did  not  object  to  their  presenting  his  crew  with  a 
gratuity,  which  amounted  to  over  three  thousand  dollars  ;  and  as  he  knew  how  slow 
the  prize  courts  were,  he  told  his  men  to  clear  out  all  they  wanted  from  the  junk,  after 
which  he  despatched  her  to  Hong-Kong,  where  she  was  condemned  and  sold.  Not  a 
bale  of  silk  or  ball  of  opium  would  he  keep  for  himself,  being  too  proud  to  share  in  the 
plunder  ;  and  beyond  a  few  flags,  taken  from  the  various  pirate  junks  he  had  destroyed, 
he  returned  home  no  richer  than  he  came,  his  principles  being  totally  unlike  those  of  his 
predecessor,  who  upon  one  occasion,  after  taking  a  junk,  coolly  appropriated  a  number 
of  balls  of  opium,  which  far  security  he  stowed  in  the  lockers  of  his  state  room,  the 
said  opium  being  described  by  him  as  "  his  perquisites." 

After  remaining  in  port  a  few  days,  a  grand  banquet  was  given  by  the  Taontai,  to 
which  the  captain,  officers,  and  crew  were  invited  ;  and  as  he  was  instructed  to  be  upon 
friendly  terms  with  the  Chinese  authorities,  Woodward  accepted  the  invitation,  little 
dreaming  of  the  surprise  which  the  Celestials  had  in  store  for  them. 

About  three  P.  M.  the  Stingers  left  their  ship,  and  landed  at  a  place  designated  bv 
the  Taontai,  where,  having  found  a  guard  of  honour  drawn  up  to  receive  them,  they  pro- 
ceeded at  once  to  the  governor's  residence  in  the  following  order  : — First  marched  the 
executioner's  assistants,  who  cleared  the  way  with  whips ;  then  a  bannerman,  bearing  the 
Taontai's  flag  and  a  gong,  which  he  beat  every  few  seconds.  Following  him  was 
a  body  of  bannermen,  who  preceded  a  sedan,  in  which  was  seated  the  crafty 
Tartar  governor,  who  took  advantage  of  the  captain's  ignorance  of  the  rites,  and 
appropriated  to  himself  the  place  of  honour.  Immediately  after  the  governor's  chair, 
came  the  Stinger's  band,  playing  "  Oh,  dear,  what  can  the  matter  be  ?  "  then  the  sedan, 
containing  Captain  Woodward,  followed  by  several  others,  occupied  by  the  officers  and 
engineers. 

By  some  mistake  the  chief  engineer,  Mr.  Sniff,  had  taken  the  chair  which  was 
intended  for  the  captain  ;  and  as  the  procession  wended  its  way,  the  people  applauded 
vociferously.  This  elated  him  to  such  a  degree  that  he  bowed  repeatedly,  first  to  the 
right  and  then  to  the  left,  which  being  a  novel  proceeding  for  an  official,  caused  the 
mob  to  shout  with  laughter.  We  may  here  remark  that  the  bobbing  of  the  mandarin 
in  the  style  of  the  tea-store  images  is  a  fiction,  got  up  by  the  artists  in  those  statuettes, 
and  that  a  Celestial  dignitary  would  as  soon  think  of  standing  upon  his  head  as  of 
bowing  to  the  populace  when  proceeding  on  official  business.  Under  those  circum- 
stances a  mandarin  is  about  as  motionless  as  a  wax  figure  ,  and  it  may.  be  imagined 
that  the  Amoyans,  who  turned  out  to  see  the  procession,  were  immensely  tickled  by 
the  antics  of  Mr.  Sniff,  whom  they  termed  the  "  nodding,  red-headed  barbarian  of  the 
west."  The  royal  marines  came  after  the  sedans,  and  the  blue  jackets  followed  them, 
a  detachment  of  Tartars  forming  the  rear-guard. 

After  marching  to  the  Taontai's  palace  and  partaking  of  some  refreshment,  the 
captain  was  informed  that  as  there  was  no  convenient  hall  in  the  city,  a  building  had 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."     J  39 

been  prepared  outside  the  gates,  where  it  was  hoped  that  the  brave  western  men  would 
condescend  to  partake  of  the  humble  fare  provided  for  them.  Hereupon  the  procession 
again  formed,  and  marched  through  the  city  to  a  clear  space  beyond  the  walls,  where 
they  found  an  immense  bamboo  edifice  erected.  Upon  one  side  of  this  was  an  enclosed 
space,  which  the  Stingers  imagined  was  fenced  in  to  form  a  promenade  ground  for  them 
during  the  intervals  of  the  feast ;  but  upon  entering  the  building,  they  found  there 
were  no  windows  or  doors  upon  that  side  of  the  edifice.  The  whole  place  was  draped 
with  banners  and  hung  with  "  living-flower-mats,"  i.  e.  mats  of  split  bamboo,  upon 
which  flowers  were  sewn  in  patterns;  these  decorations  might  by  a  casual  observer 
have  been  taken  for  beautiful  carpets,  so  evenly  were  the  blossoms  arranged  upon  them. 
At  the  extreme  end  was  a  raised  cross  table  for  the  Taontai  and  guests  of  rank,  while 
along  the  length  of  the  building  two  tables,  laden  with  sweetmeats  and  fruits  were 
spread  for  the  accommodation  of  the  crew.  The  officials  were  entertained  with  an 
infinite  variety  of  courses,  all  more  or  less  delicious,  and  none  of  them  badly  cooked  or 
repulsive  to  their  taste,  while  knives  and  forks  were  provided,  and  champagne  and 
bitter  beer  poured  out  without  stint.  Much  to  the  satisfaction  of  their  hospitable 
entertainer,  his  guests  did  every  justice  to  the  meal. 

Upon  the  entry  of  the  men  the  whole  place  was  lighted  with  candles,  and  a  Chinese 
band  struck  up  a  tune,  which  it  screwed  out,  with  more  or  less  rapidity,  during  the 
time  the  banquet  lasted.  No  doubt  the  Celestials  thought  it  very  melodious,  and  at 
times  the  attendants  upon  the  sailors  would  nod  to  the  noise,  as  we  do  to  our  music,  but 
the  effect  upon  the  visitors  was,  to  say  the  least  of  it,  excruciating. 

When  the  sailors  had  taken  their  seats  a  number  of  attendants  entered  with  huge 
kettles  of  warm  wine,  which  they  poured  into  little  cups  that  were  placed  by  the  right 
hand  of  each  guest.  Now,  as  a  sailor's  capacity  for  liquor  of  any  kind  is  well  known, 
it  may  easily  be  imagined  that  they  looked  rather  blue  upon  finding  such  small  mea- 
sures allotted  them  ;  but  by  dint  of  repeatedly  filling  during  the  course  of  the  banquet, 
they  managed  to  get  enough,  although  not  one  became  intoxicated.  When  the  atten- 
dants imagined  the  sailors  had  deluged  themselves  sufficiently  with  wine,  they  pro- 
ceeded to  remove  the  remnants  of  the  sweets  ;  seeing  this,  the  jolly  tars,  who  imagined 
dinner  was  over,  motioned  them  to  leave  the  dishes,  which  they  entirely  emptied  of 
their  contents.  Upon  this  the  waiters  cleared  the  tables  by  beat  of  gong.  In  a  short 
time  a  file  of  men  entered,  and  placed  all  sorts  of  food  before  the  astonished  foreigners ; 
and  as  the  provisions  were  supplied  by  fifty  hotel-keepers  who  were  obliged,  under 
threat  of  severe  punishment,  to  furnish  a  certain  number  of  dishes,  some  of  them  were 
palatable,  and  others  the  reverse ;  however,  the  men  were  all  satisfied,  and  attacked  the 
viands  with  the  full  determination  of  trying  everything  which  came  within  their  reach 
and  would  shout  to  a  shipmate  at  another  table,  or  pass  favourite  dishes  from  one  to 
another  in  a  most  amusing  fashion. 

"  I  say,  number  ten  mess ! — hi ! — you  at  the  other  table  come  over  here ;  w-e've  got 
some  biled  bore-constructor,  and  its  stunning." 

"Charley,  how  are  you  gettin'  on?"  observed  a  hardy-looking  topman  to  a  marine 
who  was  seated  opposite  him. 

"  I'm  all  right.  I've  eat  a  whole  roast  duck,  and  am  trying  some  fried  boot-heels, 
which  ain't  bad.  Will  ye  have  some  ?  " 

When  the  dishes  were  removed  a  procession  of  servants  entered,  bearing  four  pigs, 
roasted  whole ;  these  were  deposited  upon  the  tables,  and  soon  nothing  but  the  bones 
remained.  When  these  had  been  disposed  of,  the  attendants  placed  bowls  of  thin 
soup  before  each  sailor,  after  having  partaken  of  which  many  of  them  felt  anything 
but  well. 


140  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

When  the  feast  commenced,  a  heavy  curtain  was  drawn  across  that  portion  of  the 
edifice  where  the  officers  sat.  As  the  Taontai  knew  the  sailors  would  finish  their 
dinners  long  before  the  officials,  he  directed  the  attendants  upon  the  men  to  let  them 
eat  their  food,  and  then  supply  them  with  unlimited  warm  wine  and  tobacco,  with 
which  they  managed  to  pass  the  time  until  eight  o'clock,  when  the  gong  announced 
the  Taontai  and  his  guests  had  completed  their  meal. 

A  crowd  of  attendants  now  proceeded  to  unhook  the  centre  of  the  curtain,  covering 
the  wall  upon  that  Bide  of  the  edifice  facing  the  enclosure,  and  upon  its  removal  a 
guard  was  placed  across  the  gap,  the  dinner  tables  cleared  away,  and  seats  placed  for 
the  guests, — the  Taontai  and  his  officials  upon  the  left,  and  Captain  Woodward  and  his 
officers  upon  the  right.  Footlights  were  then  placed  upon  the  ground  in  front  of  the 
guards,  who,  now  that  the  party  were  seated,  retired,  and  left  them  gazing  upon  a 
square  enclosure,  and  they  had  full  opportunity  of  listening  to  the  enlivening  agony 
of  the  Chinese  band,  which  redoubled  its  noise  and  worked  away  as  if  desirous  cf 
carrying  on  until  something  gave  way. 

At  a  signal  from  the  Taontai  the  doors  of  the  banquet-hall  were  thrown  open,  and  the 
Amoyans  poured  in  until  they  became  so  closely  pressed,  that  you  might  have  walked 
upon  their  heads  without  fear.  Captain  Woodward  imagined  they  were  going  to 
entertain  them  with  a  theatrical  performance,  so  he  smiled  at  his  host,  and  puffed  at 
his  cigar,  little  dreaming  he  was  about  to  witness  a  horible  tragedy,  which  none  but  a 
Chinese  would  have  imagined  acceptable  to  a  foreigner.  At  length  when  a  gong  had 
been  struck  nine  times,  the  Taontai  arose  and  thus  addressed  his  guests  : — 

"  Most  illustrious,  brave,  and  honourable  men  of  the  western  seas,  I  have  this  day 
endeavoured,  out  of  my  poverty  of  means,  to  show  you  how  much  I  think  of  you  and 
all  your  nation.  I  thank  you  for  the  brave  act  which  resulted  in  the  capture  of  Yaou- 
chung,  and  I  invite  you  to  see  the  clemency  of  his  Majesty  the  Emperor  whom  we  all 
revere,  extended  to  the  denied  dog  and  his  blood-stained  accomplices.  I  salute  you  re- 
spectfully." 

When  this  speech  was  ended  Lieutenant  Russell  observed  to  Woodward,  "  The  con- 
viction has  just  dawned  upon  my  mind  that  they  are  about  to  consign  the  pirates  to 
Hades,  by  the  hands  of  the  public  executioner,  and  the  present  company  are  to  witness 
the  performance." 

"  Nonsense !  "  replied  the  commander.  "  They  surely  do  not  intend  carrying  out 
the  sentence  here." 

"  Let  me  entreat  you  not  to  suffer  a  misconception  to  lead  your  judgment  astray,  as 
even  my  limited  acquaintance  with  the  Chinese  language  enables  me  to  affirm  that  the 
pirates  are  shortly  to  be  submitted  to  the  pangs  of  torture  in  our  presence." 

"  I'm  sorry,  as  we  cannot  back  out,  and  must,  as  it  were,  countenance  the  butchery 
by  our  presence.  The  sly  Taontai  has  arranged  this  matter  very  cleverly ;  do  you  not 
think  so,  Russell  ?  "  said  the  captain. 

Further  conversation  was  cut  short  by  the  appearance  of  the  chief  executioner,  a 
most  revolting-looking  wretch,  who  advanced  into  the  arena  ;  then,  kneeling  upon  the 
sawdust  with  which  the  ground  was  covered,  bowed  his  forehead  (or  kow-tow'd)  nine 
times,  after  which  his  assistants,  who  were,  like  him,  clad  in  black  tunics  and  conical- 
shaped  wire  hats,  came  forward  and  went  through  the  same  performance. 

Having  paid  their  respects,  the  black  band  brought  out  several  movable  screens, 
which  they  placed  before  the  opening,  upon  which  the  music  recommenced.  After  a 
short  interval  the  gong  again  sounded,  and  some  persons  behind  took  the  screens  and 
carried  them  out  of  sight,  when  the  spectators  beheld  about  sixty  men,  clad  only  in 
blue  trousers,  kneeling  with  their  hands  resting  upon  the  sawdust,  it  being  noticed 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  E.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      141 

that  all  of  them  were  deprived  of  their  queues.  At  the  back  of  the  arena  was  a  mat- 
covered  pile^over  which  an  assistant  executioner,  armed  with  a  ladle  was  throwing 
some  liquid. 

At  a  signal  from  the  Taontai ,  a  scribe  read  the  names  of  the  sixty  prostrate  men, 
and  when  that  was  completed  called  to  four  executioners,  who  stepped.forward,  paid 
their  respects  to  their  master  and  his  guests,  then  taking  up  their  positions,  each  at  the 
head  of  fifteen  recumbent  criminals,  raised  their  short  swords  and  awaited  the  final 
order.  Their  weapons  were  very  keen-edged,  thick-backed  affairs,  slightly  curved,  and 
loaded  with  quicksilver,  in  order  to  give  force  to  the  blows.  The  chief  executioner 
received  the  orders  and  directed  his  assistants,  he  taking  the  left-hand  row,  over  the 
last  man  of  which  he  was  now  standing,  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon  the  Taontai. 

So  rapidly  had  all  this  been  aocomplished'that  the  Stingers  could  hardly  compre- 
hend the  meaning  of  their  action  ;  but  when  the  Governor  elevated  the  claw-like  nail 
of  his  right  thumb,  and  the  four  executioners  simultaneously  swept  the  heads  off  four 
of  the  recumbent  figures,  they  all  understood  it  was  a  real  execution,  and  not  a 
theatrical  representation  that  was  being  enacted  before  their  eyes.  As  the  movements  of 
the  executioners  were  regulated  by  those  of  the  chief,  it  will  be  sufficient  to  describe 
his  action. 

When  he  gave  the  swinging  blow  with  his  sword  which  swept  off  his  first  victim's 
head,  he  dexterously  skipped  across  the  neck  of  the  body,  and  planting  himself  behind 
his  second  victim,  repeated  the  cut,  upon  which  off  flew  another  head,  he  continuing  his 
blows  until  he  had  decapitated  four  of  the  kneeling  ones,  when  he  changed  his  sword 
for  a  keener  weapon  and  recommenced  his  labour.  In  a  few  moments  fifteen  heads 
were  lying  upon  the  sawdust  near  the  trunks  of  their  former  bodies.  It  was  wonder- 
ful to  see  how  easily  he  sliced  them  off,  and  with  what  rapidity  the  whole  of  them  were 
executed. 

When  all  was  finished  the  executioners  picked  up  the  heads,  and  carelessly  placed 
them  upon  their  trunks  ;  then  advancing  to  the  front,  knelt,  kow-tow'd,  and  retired.  In 
a  few  moments  a  number  of  men  entered,  and  dragged  off  the  bodies  and  heads,  after 
which  fresh  sawdust  was  sprinkled,  and  the  arena  raked  clean,  in  the  same  manner  as 
the  supers  prepare  the  ring  of  a  circus  for  a  new  entertainment.  ( 

Captain  Woodward,  who  was  thoroughly  sick  at  the  sight,  but  had  kept  his  seat  out 
of  courtesy  towards  the  Taontai,  now  arose,  and  begged  he  would  allow  him  to  retire 
with  his  officers  and  crew,  adding  that  such  a  method  of  execution  was  quite  foreign  to 
the  ideas  of  all  "  the  men  of  the  west ;  "  but  the  Taontai  only  pointed  to  the  swarming 
mass  of  Chinese  behind  them,  and  declared  it  would  be  impossible  for  them  to  leave 
until  the  executions  were  over,  adding,  "  You  will  be  pleased  with  the  next  perfor- 
mance, which  you  will  probably  never  have  another  opportunity  of  witnessing." 

Finding  escape  was  impossible,  the  captain  partly  turned  his  back  upon  the  arena, 
and  the  gong  sounded  for  the  next  piece  of  barbarism. 

A  large  body  of  the  wire-hatted,  black-dressed  executioners  now  advanced  and  kow- 
tow'd,  four  of  their  number  bearing  long  poles,  to  the  end  of  which  were  tied  lighted 
torches.  After  their  prostrations  were  completed,  two  of  them  walked  to  the  back  of  the 
arena,  and  pulled  at  tne  lines  which  held  the  covering  of  the  pile.  A  yell  of  execration 
broke  from  the  Chinese  spectators  as,  upon  the  mats  falling  down,  they  beheld  a  heap 
of  wood,  on  which  were  placed  two  cages,  one  a  large  affair  twenty-five  feet  long,  by 
about  four  high,  in  which  were  chained  thirteen  of  the  officers  of  the  pirate  craft ; 
while,  in  a  smaller  cage,  above  the  other,  was  secured  the  notorious  pirate  who  had 
given  the  Stingers  so  much  trouble.  When  the  sailors  recognized  this  villain  they 
gave  vent  to  a  murmur,  which  certainly  did  not  indicate  pity. 


14:2  BLUE   JACKETS  ;    OK,    T11E    ADVENTURES    OF 

A  mandarin  now  advanced,  and  thus  addressed  the  spectators : — "  List,  ye  people  of 
To-keen  district.  Hardly  a  moon  ago  this  Yaou-chung  seizad  an  imperial  junk,  and 
after  killing  the  crew,  whom  he  tortured  in  a  barbarous  manner,  deliberately  enclosed 
thirteen  of  our  honourable  colleagues  within  an  iron  cage,  and  burnt  them  to  death. 
To-day  Yaou-chung  (you  descendant  of  a  dishonoured  dog)  and  thirteen  of  his  head 
men  receive  the  clemency  of  our  father  and  mother,  the  Emperor,  the  common  men  of 
his  crew  having  been  despatched  with  the  sword.  Beware  !  and  follow  not  the  example 
they  have  set,  or  you  will  be  treated  likewise." 

Neither  Yaou-chuug  nor  his  officers  paid  the  slightest  attention  to  the  speech,  but 
seemingly  chaffed  the  executioner,  who  was  basting  them  with  some  liquid.  At  length 
the  latter  retired  and  the  mandarin  gave  the  signal,  when  the  torchmen  applied  their 
brands,  and  in  an  instant  the  pile  was  alight.  The  thirteen  men  were  soon  writhing 
and  screaming,  as  their  bodies  were  wetted  with  spirit  which  the  executioners  had 
thrown  upon  them,  but  for  some  time  Yaou-chung  remained  as  quiet  as  a  statue,  al- 
though the  torture  must  have  been  fearful;  however,  after  the  wood  began  to  burn  up 
he  gradually  showed  signs  of  suffocation,  and  must  have  been  insensible  long  before  the 
flames  reached  his  body. 

"When  all  was  over  the  crowd  dispersed,  and  Captain  "Woodward  marched  his  men 
back  to  the  wharf  and  embarked  them  in  boats  in  which  they  were  conveyed  on  board 
the  ship.  Of  course  there  was  no  help  for  it,  and  it  was  all  right  according  to  the 
Chinese  way  of  reckoning,  but  the  gallant  officer  determined,  that  when  next  asked  to  a 
Chinese  banquet,  he  would,  before  accepting  the  civility,  ascertain  if  it  were  "  a  dinner 
to  be  followed  by  an  execution,"  or  only  a  friendly  "  chin-chin." 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."     14:3 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Little  A-tae  improved  wonderfully  in  health,  and  within  five  days  after  her  mother's 
visit  to  Nan-woo  announced  that  she  was  ready  to  set  out  for  the  sacred  grove.  Her 
parent  did  not  content  herself  with  sending  only  some  fruit  and  tea,  but  added  sweet- 
meats and  sundry  delicacies,  including  a  little  rock  salt,  which  she  packed  in  a  neat 
bamboo  basket,  and  gave  her  daughter,  with  many  minute  instructions  as  to  her 
deportment. 

It  was  a  lovely  autumnal  day ;  and  as  the  girl  bent  her  steps  towards  the  hill  she 
mechanically  sang  a  very  old  Chinese  ditty  called  "  The  life  of  a  leaf,"  while  her  thoughts, 
wandering  more  fleetly  on,  were  already  with  her  beloved  Yung-Yuiig-Sho.  Strange  to 
say,  after  the  first  few  stanzas  she  altered  the  words  in  a  manner,  which  would  have 
puzzled  any  Celestial  who  overheard  her.  The  original  song  ran  as  follows : — 

"  Of  the  young  bud,  covered  with  down, 

Soft  as  the  breath  of  a  zephyr, 

Unfolding  to  the  sun,  a  leaf  appears, 

Tender  as  the  cheek  of  an  infant. 

At  first  thin,  delicate,  transparent, 

Developing  quickly,  veined  like  the  hand  of  a  maiden 

From  first  to  last  always  beautiful. 

After  reclining  in  the  light  of  the  golden  sun, 

And  coquetting  with  the  silver  moon, 

For  many  days, 

The  early  (eager,  forward)  frost  kisses  it  gently,        • 

Gemming  it  with  beauty. 

It  blushes  at  the  embrace ; 

Emboldened,  the  touch  is  repeated, 

When  lo,  the  ruddy  colour  flies,  and 

The  leaf,  pale  and  trembling, 

Drops  upon  the  bosom  of  the  earth."  , 

That  is  what  she  should  have  sung,  but  she  altered  it  in  this  manner,  for  after  utter- 
ing the  words, 

"  From  first  to  last  always  beautiful," 

pouring  her  heart  out  in  melody,  she  sang, 

"  Oh  !  charming  Yung- Yung-Sho, 

By  day  my  sun,  by  tight  my  moon, 

Always  thus  to  remain. 

I  cannot  forget  the  gentle  embrace 

You  gave  me  in  the  tea  field. 

My  face  burns  with  happiness, 

But  you  will  never  repeat  it  ? 

Oh !  will  you  T 

Soon  again  I  shall  behold  the  bright  light  of  your  eyes  t 

Ah  me !  then  pale  and  trembling 

Shall  I  sink  upon  the  earth, 

And  die  of  very  happiness." 


144  BLUE   JACKETS  J     OK,    THE    ADYEVIUltES    OF 

As  she  sang  this  her  eyes  sparkled,  and  a  smile  illuminated  her  face.  Was  she  not 
going  to  meet  her  true  love,  her  own  Yung-Yung-Sho  ?  Under  those  circumstances  even 
a  plain  girl  would  have  looked  charming,  and  little  A-tae  appeared  happy  as  a  bird  and 
bright  as  a  diamond. 

The  girl  proceeded  at  a  brisk  rate  until  she  came  to  the  entrance  of  the  ravine,  upon 
which  she  stopped  and  tormented  herself  with  surmises.  "  He  has  fled.  He  was  killed, 
for  my  mother  did  not  mention  him.  I  am  devoured  with  affliction ;  I  must  go  back," 
she  thought,  but  after  a  while  summoned  courage,  and  walking  up  the  pathway,  found 
herself  before  the  hole  in  the  Avail. 

"  Ahem  !  "  said  a  voice,  which  she  knew  did  not  belong  to  Nan-woo. 
•  A-tae  blushed,  cast  down  her  eyes,  and  lifting  the  tribute  basket   placed  it  gently 
upon  the  ledge,  but  was  too  much  agitated  to  speak. 

"  Ahem  !  "  repeated  the  person  inside. 

"  Sho,"  timidly  whispered  the  girl,  still  looking  at  the  ground  ;  and  ere  she  could 
raise  her  eyes  the  stone  screen  was  pushed  back,  and  Jerry,  thrusting  forth  his  arms, 
seized  her,  and  lifting  her  up,  imprinted  a  burning  kiss  upon  her  lips. 

"  0  Sho,  don't." 

"  You  beauty,  how  I  have  longed  to  see  you  ! "  whispered  the  happy  fellow.  Oj 
course  his  Chinese  was  not  perfect  by  a  long  way,  but  he  managed  to  make  her  under- 
stand, and  what  he  could  not  utter  with  his  tongue  he  expressed  with  his  eyes,  his 
only  drawback  being  his  inability  to  kiss  her  often,  as  the  operation  was  not  only 
awkward,  but  absolutely  dangerous.  After  a  delicious  half-hour,  during  which  he  told 
her  that  she  was  the  most  beautiful  woman  in  the  world  at  least  twenty  times,  she 
asked  for  Nan- woo. 

"  Oh,  he's  asleep ' 

"  Wake  him.  Good-bye.  I'll  come  again  to-morrow,  my  lord,"  said  she,  kissing  her 
hand  in  imitation  of  her  lover ;  then,  assuming  a  demure  expression  of  countenance, 
awaited  the  awakening  of  the  bon/e. 

After  shaking  the  old  gentleman  until  he  began  to  fear  he  would  dislocate  his  neck, 
the  sailor  succeeded  in  getting  Nan-woo  to  open  one  eye,  and  to  slowly  utter 
"  O-mi-tu-fuh,"  upon  which  the  deputy  bonze  repeated  the  irritation  until  he  got 
through  a  good  many  "  O-mi-tu-fuh's  ; "  then  he  informed  him  that  a  person  wanted 
him,  and  added  in  his  own  language,  "  If  I  ketch  you  a  winkin'  at  her  I'll  stop  your 
rice,  so  mind."  Not  that  the  bonze  was  likely  to  be  guilty  of  such  a  breach  of  discipline 
but  the  sailor  was  so  love-stricken,  that  he  would  have  quarrelled  with  A-tae's  shadow 
from  very  jealousy. 

After  receiving  the  offering,  Nan- woo  glanced  at  the  girl  and  observed,  "Bring 
another  to-morrow  ;  go,  you  are  better  ;  "  then  squatting  upon  his  mat  recommenced 
his  "  0-mi — "  refrain,  assisted  in  the  performance  by  his  deputy,  who  growled  out  a 
deep  bass,  whistled,  or  sang  a  falsetto  accompaniment,  as  the  whim  took  him.  Not 
that  it  mattered  to  the  bonze  what  he  did,  provided  he  kept  within  the  cell,  as 
after  Jerry  had  been  with  him  a  week,  except  when  spoken  to,  he  took  no  more  notice 
of  his  disciple  than  he  would  of  a  tame  kitten. 

One  of  the  police  runners  was  related  to  A-tae'a  family ;  and  being  a  cool,  calculating 
scamp,  who  did  not  believe  in  the  supernatural,  could  not  make  out  how  it  was  that 
Jerry  had  left  the  ravine.  Knowing  he  would  receive  a  large  reward  if  he  captured 
him,  he  communicated  his  suspicions  to  A-tae's  brother,  a  rowdy  named  Hew-chaou, 
upon  which  they  determined  to  keep  an  eye  upon  the  Buddhist  grove,  particularly 
about  the  ravine  ;  and  as  winter  had  set  in,  they  searched  diligently  for  footprints  in 
the  snow. 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."     145 

The  girl  returned  every  day,  and  upon  some  occasions  had  the  inexpressible 
happiness  of  speaking  to  her  lover,  when  one  morning,  to  her  astonishment,  she  found 
Jerry  out  of  the  cell,  and  waiting  for  her  at  the  entrance  of  the  ravine. 

"  Oh,  my  lord  !     O  Sho  !     Hie  thee  Back.     If  they  see  you  we  are  lost." 

"  Nonsense.  I've  been  cooped  up  long  enough,  and  mean  to  have  a  cruise.  I  can't 
stand  it  any  longer ;  Itesides,  Nan-woo's  asleep — he  spends  half  his  time  so  now ;  I 
think  he  won't  live  long.  But  what  makes  you  look  so  pale  ?  " 

"  My  lord  Sho,  for  ten  days,  in  fact,  since  the  snow  first  fell,  I  have  been  watched 
by  two  men, — one  is  my  brother  Hew-chaou,  and  the  other  the  police  runner  who 
hunted  you.  Oh,  do  not  expose  yourself  to  these  wolves.  My  brother  is  a  bad  man, 
and  would  sell  your  head  for  a  sapeck,  and  the  runner  is  a  tiger." 

"  I  don't  fear  them,  A-tae,  but  I'm  getting  lonely  and  am  half-starved.  Will  you 
leave  this  place  and  go  with  me  ?  " 

"  I  can't,"  she  sobbed. 

"  Why  not  ?  " 

"  We  should  not  get  ten  li  before  they  would  track  us.  Then  what  would  become 
of  you,  my  lord  Sho  ?  " 

They  had  walked  up  the  ravine  and  were  now  just  outside  the  cell,  when  suddenly 
the  head  of  the  old  bonze  protruded  from  the  hole,  his  eyes  wide  open  with  astonish- 
ment and  terror, 

"  O-mi — come  in  you  fool !  O-mi-tu-fuh,  you  blind  idiot,  come  in  !"  saying  which 
he  threw  his  arms  about,  and  behaved  in  such  a  ridiculously  frantic  manner,  that  out 
of  compassion  Jerry  kissed  A-tae,  and  wriggled  through  the  hole  into  the  cell. 

Nan-woo  was  a  very  proper  old  man,  and  the  sailor's  proceedings  quite  scandalized 
him,  but  after  a  few  hours  ke  relapsed  into  his  vegetable  state,  and  things  went  on  as 
before.  One  night  in  the  depth  of  winter  the  deputy  was  awakened  by  the  moans  of 
the  old  fellow,  and  hastened  to  his  assistance,  but  after  having  made  him  some  tea  he 
retired  again  to  his  mat,  imagining  the  malady  allayed  by  the  warm  drink.  However, 
when  day  broke  he  found  his  senior  would  soon  repeat  his  last  "O-mi,"  as  he  was  going 
fast.  Thinking  the  case  required  religious  consolation,  he  did  his  best  under  the 
circumstances,  and  as,  with  all  his  faults,  Thompson  was  not  without  some  sort  of 
re),.i-ior..  !-,o  managed  to  remember  a  prayer  or  two,  which  he  repeated  to  the  dying 
bonze,  winding  up  by  way  of  a  hymn  with 

How  doth  the  little  busy  bee,"* 

repeated  slowly.  Nan-woo  looked  at  him  with  a  stony  expression  of  countenance,  and 
about  eleven  A.M.,  after  a  faint  struggle,  with  a  half-uttered  "O-mi-t — "  upon  his  lips, 
the  old  bonze  breathed  his  last,  "  saluting  heaven  "  from  the  arms  of  his  sorrowing 
companion. 

"  Here's  a  fix.  On  a  lee  shore,  skipper  gone,  and  nothing  but  breakers  all  round. 
Well,  poor  old  buffer,  you  saved  my  life  and  put  up  with  me,  and  now  you're  gone,  I'll 
bury  you  decently ; "  saying  which  he  pushed  the  body  through  the  hole,  and  having 
taken  it  out  of  the  ravine  succeeded  in  burying  it  in  a  snow-drift,  where  the  mortal 
remains  were  found  in  the  spring,  and  interred  by  a  brother  bonze. 

After  the  death  of  Nan-woo  the  sailor  set  to  work  and  pulled  down  the  rocks  which 
had  been  piled  up  in  front  of  the  cell  fifty  years  before,  when  the  old  bonze  entered  it, 
the  occupation  tending  to  keep  his  blood  in  circulation,  and  preventing  him  from 
thinking  of  his  loneliness.  He  knew  none  of  the  old  women  who  frequented  the  place 
in  fine  weather  would  be  likely  to  visit  him  then,  and  it  was  not  until  his  companion  had 
*  Very  inappropriate  at  the  death-bed  of  a  Buddhist  bonze.  ' 

10 


146  BLUE  JACKETS  J  OK,  T1IE  ABVENTLKE&  OF 

been  dead  a  week  that  A-tae  again  made  her  appearance.  Before  the  snowv  weather 
set  in  the  girl  had  managed  to  bring  him  several  articles  of  warm  clothing,  and  a 
number  of  bundles  of  rice-straw,  which  he  formed  into  a  bed,  so  his  situatian  was 
not  quite  so  forlorn  as  might  have  been  imagined,  his  great  trouble  being  a  fear  of 
starvation  ;  and  when  A-tae  came  pattering  up  the  path  he  gave  a  cheer,  and  rushing 
out  caught  her  in  his  embrace.  • 

"  Please,  Shol— my  lord — don't ! " 

"  I'm  so  glad  to  see  you ;  you  can't  tell  how  lonely  I  have  been.  The  old  man  is 
dead,  and,  but  for  you,  I  would  have  left  and  risked  capture." 

"  Hist !     Did  you  hear  a  noise  ?  " 

"  Nonsense  !     It  is  your  imagination." 

"  I  fear  my  brother  has  followed  me.  He  is  very  suspicious,  and  wanted  my  mother 
to  prevent  my  coming,  but  I  said  I  must,  or  I  should  never  have  any  luck.  Hist ! — I 
hear  it  again  ;  'tis  some  one  moving.  Let  us  hide." 

"  Who  would  hurt  you  ?  " 

"My  brother  would  kill  me  if  he  found  me  with  you.  I  know  his  passionate 
nature." 

"  Stay  here  until  night  falls,  and  then  we  will  dress  in  the  old  bonze's  clothes,  and 
leave  the  place..  In  his  winter  hoods  no  one  will  be  able  to  know  who  we  are,  and  once 
at  Hang-Chow,  there  are  a  thousand  chances  to  Teach  the  sea,  where  I  can  ship  in  a 
junk,  and  take  you  as  my  wife." 

After  much  persuasion  the  girl  agreed  to  remain  with  him,  observing  that  death 
would  be  preferable  to  such  misery  as  they  had  endured  for  the  last  few  days. 

The  words  had  hardly  passed  her  lips  before  her  brother  suddenly  sprang  from 
behind  a  rock,  and,  drawing  a  short  sword,  plunged  it  into  her  body. 

With  a  cry  like  that  of  a  wounded  tiger,  the  sailor  jumped  at  Hew-chaou,  and 
seizing  the  sword,  delivered  cut  after  cut  until  the  rowdy  was  covered  with  wounds. 
After  a  desperate  struggle,  during  which  both  fought  like  demons,  the  Chinaman,  in 
endeavouring  to  pick  up  a  stone,  received  a  blow  upon  the  nape  of  the  neck,  which 
stretched  him  dead.  Seeing  this  Thompson  gently  lifted  up  the  body  of  A-tae,  and 
carrying  it  into  the  cell,  endeavoured  to  bring  her  back  to  life.  When  she  became 
conscious  he  asked  her  where  she  was  wounded,  upon  which  she  motioned  to  her  side, 
and  again  close'd  her  eyes,  as  if  in  great  pain. 

"  Poor  little  thing — my  curse  on  the  brute  who  did  it.  How  could  any  one  with  a 
heart  do  such  a  cruel  deed  ? "  he  observed  in  his  own  language.  Then  added  in 
Chinese,  "  Fear  not,  A-tae,  you  will  soon  be  well." 

The  girl  opened  her  eyes  upon  hearing  his  voice,  and  thriling  faintly,  begged  him 
not  to  sorrow  for  her,  she  was  so  happy  resting  in  his  arms. 

Thompson  gazed  upon  the  loving  face,  but  in  spite  of  vain  endeavours  to  restrain 
his  emotion,  his  lips  quivered,  and  big  tears  coursed  down  his  cheeks. 

"  Don't  weep,  Yung-Yung-Sho." 

"  God — help — me.     I  deserve  to  lose  you,  as  a  punishment  for  my  sins." 

"  Speak  my  own  language." 

"  A-tae,  my  heart  is  broken,  and  would  I  were  in  your  place.  I  have  not  loved  you 
as  I  should.  I  am  not  worthy  of  such  love  as  yours,  you  pure  lily." 

Upon  hearing  this  the  poor  girl  lifted  her  head,  laid  her  cheek  upon  his,  and  kissing 
him  gently,  said,  "  Yung-Yung-Sho,  I'm — so — happy !  "  then  dropped  upon  his  shoulder, 
and  giving  him  a  1ook  of  ineffable  love,  closed  her  eyes,  and  in  a  short  time  all  her 
earthlv  troubles  were  over. 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    if  THE    BEATIIKX    OHINEJ5."  14T 

When  he  found  that  she  "was  dead  he  clasped  her  to  his  heart,  and  lavished  the  most 
endearing  epithets  upon  her- — "  Open  your  eyes  once  more  !  0  darling  A-tae  !  Look 
at  me  again !  Your  heart  still  beats."  But  the  light  of  the  beautiful  eyes  was 
dimmed  for  ever,  and  the  loving  little  heart  would  never  beat  for  him  again.  All  day 
he  held  her  in  his  arms,  and  when  evening  came  he  lit  a  lamp — which  had  been  her 
present — and  watched  her  body  through  the  long  winter  night.  At  times,  fancying 
she  smiled  at  him,  he  would  bend  over  her  and  listen — but  to  hear  the  beating  of  his 
own  heart, — then  he  would  gently  kiss  her  lips,  and  resume  his  lonely  watch. 

There,  in  the  presence  of  a  woman  who  had  shown  by  her  every  action  how  tenderly 
and  dearly  she  had  loved  him,  the  sailor  looked  back  upon  his  past  life,  and  contrasted 
the  cor.  dm  t  of  the  girl  before  him  with  that  of  his  former  loves.  "Xone  of  them  were 
half  as  good  as  she,"  ke  thought,  and  he  vowed  henceforth  to  shun  the  society  of  the 
opposite  sex. 

At  daybreak  he  took  her  once  more  in  his  arms,  and  buried  her  in  the  snow  near  the 
entrance  of  the  ravine,  taking  care  to  arch  stones  over  her  in  such  a  mariner  that  no  wild 
animal  could  get  at  the  body.  The  snow  was  falling  fast  when  he  did  this,  and  in  a 
short  time  the  tumulus  was  completely  hidden  with  a  veil  of  spotless  purity ;  then  he 
returned  to  the  hermitage,  and  having  dressed  in  the  winter  suit  of  the  bonze,  left  the 
ravine.  As  he  passed  the  place  where  his  lost  love  lay  so  silent,  he  knelt  reverently  and 
prayed  that  she  might  be  in  a  happier  state,  where  she  would  never  have  a  sorrow ;  then, 
•with  a  heavy  heart,  he  wandered  forth,  going  he  cared  not  whither. 

After  walking  for  about  five  hours,  he  came  to  a  small  village,  where  he  met  with  a 
party  of  actors  about  to  start  for  Hang-chow ;  as  he  wished  to  disguise  himself,  he 
slipped  into  a  room  and  pulled  off  his  bonze's  dress,  under  which  he  still  wore  his  old 
one ;  then  sought  out  the  manager  of  the  company,  and  having  informed  him  that  he 
was  a  first-rate  "fool,"  was  offered  by  the  impressarioa  salary  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  sa- 
pecks  per  month,  with  board  and  lodging.  As  salary  was  no  object,  he  at  once  closed 
with  the  offer. 

His  employer  gave  him  a  cat-skin  robe,  directing  him  to  put  it  on  and  go  into  the 
public  room,  where  he  could  give  them  a  specimen  of  his  powers.  After  rigging  him- 
self in  the  costume  he  suddenly  darted  into  the  large  hall,  which  was  then  full  of  com- 
pany, and  falling  upon  his  hands  and  knees,  aped  the  manner  and  melody  of  a  tom-cat 
to  such  perfection  that,  upon  his  return  to  the  manager,  the  latter  "  chin-chinned  "  him, 
and  made  up  his  mind  that  when  they  arrived  at  Hang-chow  he  would  bring  out  his  new 
actor  as  a  star  of  the  first  magnitude.  As  they  performed  at  all  the  principal  towns  upon 
the  road,  and  were  sometimes  delayed  by  heavy  falls  of  snow,  the  company  did  not 
arrive  at  their  journey's  end  as  soon  as  they  anticipated,  but  the  delay  gave  Jerry  an 
opportunity  of  perfecting  himself  in  his  part,  and  when  he  kow-tow'd  to  the  audience  in 
the  "Theatre  of  the  Gods"  at  Hang-chow  he  received  a  perfect  ovation. 

He  now  desired  to  earn  enough  money  to  take  him  to  Ning-po,  as  he  had  overheard 
a  boatman  say  that  there  was  an  English  ship-of-war  wintering  there,  and.  in  justice  to 
him,  it  must  be  said  that,  although  surrounded  by  pretty  girls  who  would  willingly  have 
become  Mrs.  Lew  (that  being  his  theatrical  name),  he  never  even  smiled  upon  one  of 
them  ;  indeed,  it  was  months  before  he  spoke  to  a  woman,  and  the  once  susceptible  sailor 
was  now  as  distant  as  he  had  formerly  been  free  with  the  fair  sex. 

After  delighting  large  audiences  in  the  "  City  of  fair  women,"  the  manager  announced 
his  intention  of  proceeding  to  Ning-po.  When  he  asked  Jerry  to  accompany  him,  the 
sailor  at  once  agreed.  As  the  party  was  now  a  large  one,  having  received  several 
additions  to  their  number,  they  determined  to  go  by  sea ;  so  Ch'un  making  a  bargain 
with  a  captain,  they  proceeded  to  the  port  and  embarked  on  board  the  Roaring  Tiger,  a 


148  BLUE   JACKETS  ;    OK,    THE    ADVENTURES    OF 

large  junk  used  in  the  fish-trade.  When  they  got  to  sea,  Thompson  showed  the  actors 
that  he  was  a  good  sailor ;  and,  although  feeling  thoroughly  miserable  himself,  he  kept 
them  in  a  continual  state  of  merriment  by  his  absurd  antics.  They  succeeded  in  reach- 
ing Chin-hae  without  having  encountered  a  gale;  and.  as  the  ship  had  been  directed  to 
•  anchor  there,  until  examined  by  the  custom-house  officials,  the  passengers  proceeded  up 
the  river  in  boats,  the  manager  engaging  one  to  convey  his  troupe.  Upon  nearing  Ning- 
po  Jerry  saw;  towering  above  the  masta  of  the  junks  at  anchor  below  the  city,  the  lofty 
spars  of  a  man-of-war,  which,  upon  a  nearer  approach,  proved  to  be  the  Stinger. 

"  There  she  is  !  there  she  is !  there  she  is ! "  he  cried  in  his  native  language.  Upon 
which  his  companions  shook  their  heads,  and  observed  to  each  other  that  the/<?0J  was 
going  crazy. 

When  their  boat  passed  the  man.of-war  he  could  contain  himself  no  longer,  but 
shouted  to  Tom  Clare,  who  was  arranging  the  yoke  in  the  captain's  gig,  then  waiting 
for  the  commander  at  the  gangway. 

''  Tom  !  Tom  Clare !  "  he  bawled,  "  here !  look  here  !  " 

As  Clare,  upon  looking  up,  only  saw  a  Chinese  passenger-boat,  he  merely  glanced  at 
it,  then  resumed  his  occupation,  imagining  he  had  been  called  by  some  one  on  board, 
little  dreaming  it  was  his  old  friend  Thompson  come  to  life  again.  His  non-recogni- 
tion by  Clare  seemed  to  alter  all  his  plans ;  and  instead  of  burning  to  return  to  his  ship 
and  old  associates,  he  suddenly  determined  to  remain  as  he  was.  "  Why  should  I  go 
aboard  that  hooker  where  all  have  forgotten  me,  to  be  flogged  like  a  dog,  when  I 
can  always  earn  a  living  here  ?  Xo,  I'll  not  make  myself  known  agin.  They  soon 
forgets  one,  anyhow."  He  did  not  consider  that  they  all  believed  him  dead,  and  that 
his  Chinese  costume  and  shaven  head  completely  disguised  him. 

Having  landed,  the  manager  escorted  them  to  a  small  inn,  where  they  settled  down 
for  the  night,  and  the  next,  day  he  directed  Jerry  and  his  leading  tragedian  to  put  on 
their  best  costumes,  as  he  wished. them  to  give  a  specimen  of  their -ability  before  a  very 
rich  man,  wno  often  entertained  his  neighbours  with  dramatic  performances  ;  so  about 
noon,  having  enveloped  his  body  in  the  skin-dress,  fastened  on  his  cat-faced  mask,  and 
adjusted  the  strings  of  his  tail,  the  sailor  proceeded  with  his  companions  to  call  upon 
Mr.  Ah-mu-chow. 

Their  journey  through  the  streets  was  a  good  advertisement  for  the  company,  as  the 
manager  would  stop  at  every  few  paces,  and  announce  the  number  of  his  troupe,  and 
the  beauty  of  their  dresses.  After  a  long  walk  they  arrived  at  the  residence  of  the 
great  man,  who,  they  were  told,  was  still  in  bed.  Upon  being  .shown  into  the  vestibule 
Jerry  created  a  roar  of  laughter  by  crawling  about  with  a  bundle  in  his  mouth,  in  the 
same  manner  as  a  cat  conveys  her  kitten,  and  it  was  with-  difficulty  that  his  master 
succeeded  in  preventing  him  from  entering  the  adjoining  chamber  where  the  great 
one  was  taking  his  "  pick-me-up,"  preparatory  to  his  undergoing  the  fatigues  of  giving 
audience  to  the  toadies,  who  were  waiting  his  appearance  in  the  "  chamber  of  con- 
versation." At  last  a  gong  sounded,  when,  with  measured  strides,  and  contempt 
expressed  in  every  line  of  his  face,  the  mighty  Ah-mu-chow  entered  the  apartment, 
upon  which  the  obsequious  ones  fell  upon  their  knees  and  kow-tow'd,  as  if  they 
were  driving  nails  in  the  floor  with  their  heads :  Jerry,  who  did  not  relish  such 
grovelling,  standing  in  a  perfectly  rigid  attitude,  with  his  tail  as  straight  as  ^bam- 
boo. 

Without  glancing  at  the  prostrate  forms,  the  haughty  Ah-mu  walked  to  the  end 
of  the  vestibule,  where,  assisted  by  his  servants,  he  seated  himself  on  a  stool,  and 
posed  according  to  the  method  prescribed  in  the  "  Book  of  Rites,"  after  which  he 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."     149 

announced  to  his  secretary  that  "  the   dogs   might    speak,"  whereupon   the  manager 
advanced  upon  his  knees  and  handed  in  his  petition,  which  ran  as  follows  : — 

"  An  humble  petition  to  his  Lordship,  his  Mightiness,  his  stupendous  and  awful 
Greatness,  whom  the  gods  call  Ah-mu-chow. 

"  I  Ch'un-foo,  before  you,  being  but  dirt,  scum,  dross,  and  rubbish,  humbly  (timidly) 
raise  my  eyes,  and  beg  you  will  deign  to  cast  a  glance  (sideways)  upon  my  appeal. 

"  Hearing  you  (out  of  your  boundless  wealth)  often  patronize  such  scum  as  us  actors, 
I  venture  to  beg  you  will  allow  me  to  introduce,  for  your  honourable  amusement,  two 
members  of  my  corps — Lew,  of  the  cat-like  form,  aud  Tsew,  who  can  repeat  dramas  by 
the  hour." 

[Trembling,  and  with  bowed  head. 

After  hearing  the  foregoing  read  by  his  secretary,  the  'haughty  Ah-mu  (a  wealthy 
ship's  comprador,  who  had  made  money  during  the  war)  condescended  to  look  at  the 
actors,  whereupon  the  cat  advanced,  and  performed  some  absurd  antips,  which  drew 
from  him  a  smile  of  approval.  Having  gone  through  his  principal  feats,  although  the 
manager  asserted  they  were  poor  when  compared  to  what  he  could  do  upon  the  stage, 
Lew  retired,  upon  which  the  sombre  Tsew  stepped  forward,  and  thus  spoke : — 

"  Before  the  great  dragon  had  encircled  with  his  mighty  coil  the  imperfect  matter 
from  which  sprang — " 

"  There !  there — go  to — I  don't  understand  YOU,"  said  the  haughty  one,  with  a 
frown.  "  I'd  rather  see '  Lew-of-the-cat-like-form '  than  hear  your  sombre  and  long-wind- 
ed orations.  There — stop." 

Upon  being  thus  rebuffed,  the  great  tragedian  looked  daggers  at  the  shoddyite, 
•whom  he  regarded  as  very  small  potatoes,  although  at  first  he  had  been  civil  to  him 
from  motives  of  policy ;  and  folding  his  arms,  strutted  out  of  the  apartment. 

"  You,  Ch'un-foo,  listen.  I  like  the  performance  ot  your  cat,  who  is  very  amusing, 
but  at  present  I  do  not  intend  giving  a  theatrical  treat  to  my  numerous  friends  in  this 
part  of  the  city  ;  however,  if  you  will  perform  on  board  a  Fanqui  ship  which  is  now 
lying  off  this  port,  I  will  give  you  a  thousand  cash,  and  provide  you  with  boats  and 
refreshment  for  the  night.  You  may  get  ready  to  do  this  on  the  second  day  of  the 
next  moon,  when  a  grand  sing-song  is  to  be  given  to  the  head  man  of  the  "Western 
barbarians,  who  permanently  resides  in  our  beautiful  city. 

Upon  hearing  this,  Ch'un-foo,  finding  the  great  one  meant  business,  at  once  dropped 
his  supplicating  air.  and,  after  much  squabbling  about  terms,  agreed  to  perform  before 
the  Fanquis  upon  the  appointed  night  for  the  sum  of  three  thousand  cash  ;  then,  having 
kow-tow'd  in  a  business-like  manner,  left  the  presence,  without  for  a  moment  taking  notice 
of  the  black  looks  cast  upon  him  by  the  assembled  toadies,  who  were  much  enraged  to 
find  such  a  large  sum  squandered  upon  a  low  actor.  When  he  reached  the  inn  he  found 
Tsew  packing  his  baggage,  swearing  he  would  leave  a  city^rhere  the  burlesque  antics 
of  a  clown  were  preferred  to  the  legitimate  drama.  In  vain  Ch'un-foo  argued  it  was 
only  one  man's  opinion,  and  that  thousands  of  the  Ningpooians  were  dying  with 
anxiety  to  hear  him ;  nothing  availed,  go  he  would,  and,  to  the  manager's  indignation, 
set  out  for  Hanir-chcw,  without  waiting  for  an  offer  or  cumshaw  (a  present)  which  might 
have  been  proffered  him,  had  the  impetuous  tragedian  not  been  so  precipitate.  It  will 
thus  be  seen  that  even  in  China  the  legitimate  drama  is  sometimes  thrust  to  the  wall, 
andWor  a  time  compelled  to  give  place  to  burlesque. 

After  performing  to  crowded  houses,  and  creating  quite  a  sensation  in  the  city,  the 
company  announced  they  would  close  their  theatre  for  one  night,  having  been  com- 
manded by  a  wealthy  person  to  enlighten  the  "Western  barbarians  with  their  unique 


150        BLUE  JACKETS:  OR.  THE  ADVEXTUKES  OF 

exhibition,  and  upon  the  second  day  of  the  tenth  moon  they  rehearsed  a  new  piece,  and 
arranged  the  programme  for  the  night. 

About  eight  o'clock  the  party  presented  themselves -on  board  the  Stinger,  and  with 
the  rest  Jerry  was  conducted  abaft,  and  desired  to  remain  upon  the  monkey-poop  until 
they  were  required.  The  port  side  of  the  quarter-deck  had  been  turned  into  a  fine 
theatre,  while  forward  seats  were  arranged,  tier  upon  tier,  each  swarming  with  sailors 
and  marines,  all  eager  to  witness  the  theatrical  performance,  which  had  just  commenced 
when  the  Chinese  arrived  on  board. 

The  sailor  chatted  with  his  companions,  shutting  his  ears  to  tunes  which,  at  any 
other  time,  would  have  quickened  his  pulses  and  made  him  merry,  for  the  feeling  of 
resentment  at  being  forgotten  by  Clare  was  so  strong  within  him,  that  he  steeled  him- 
self to  meet  his  shipmates,  and  imagined,  in  the  bitterness  of  his  heart,  that  he  could 
now  look  upon  them  with  indifference. 

Lieutenant  Russell,  who  was  foremost  in  all  that  -could  make  his  men  happy,  was 
chatting  with  the  comprador  Ah-mu,  who  had  begged  that  officer  would  allow  him  to 
introduce  a  band  of  actors  for  the  amusement  of  his  good  patrons,  the  Stingers ;  and 
no  one  would  have  recognized  the  "  haughty  one  "  in  the  sneaking,  fawning,  bum-boat 
man,  who  watched  every  action  of  the  lieutenant  as  a  dog  does  his  master. 

"  "Would  any  of  your  men  like  a  glass  of  grog  ?  "  observed  Russell  to  the  manager,  in 
Chinese.  Thompson  was  about  to  reply  for  his  leader,  but,  remembering  he  was  forgot- 
ten, held  his  tongue ;  however,  in  a  few  moments  the  captain's  steward  came  aft,  and 
gave  each  of  the  troupe  a  glass  of  rum,  upon  drinking  which  Jerry  began  to  relent ;  but 
before  he  had  time  to  think,  the  bell  rang  for  them  to  make  their  bow  upon  the  staye. 

Upon  following  the  lad  who  called  them,  the  sailor  and  his  party  found  themselves 
upon  a  well-built  stage,  before  which  a  green  curtain  was  suspended,  and  it  was  with 
difficulty  he  repressed  his  desire  to  speak  to  the  men  stationed  with  blue  fire  at  the 
wings,  who  turned  out  to  be  two  of  his  old  messmates,  but  the  bell  went  ag:iin ;  so  follow- 
ing the  example- of  the  others,  he  threw  himself  upon  his  knees,  anil  when  the  curtain 
rose,  the  audience  discovered  a  row  of  Chinese  kow-towing  behind  the  foot-lightu  Upon 
seeing  this  the  crew  gave  three  hearty  cheers,  and  prepared  to  witness  wonders. 

At  a  signal  from  Ch'un-foo,  who  knelt  a  few  paces  behind  the  party,  the  actors  arose, 
and  then  Jerry  saw  before  him  many  well-known  faces,  but  they  all  looked  at  him  in  a 
distant  manner,  and  there  was  no  kind  greeting  or  any  expression  but  expectation  upon 
the  faces  of  those  present.  As  he  glanced  round  the  assembly  he  missed  Captain  Puffeigh 
and  Crushe,  as  well  as  some  few  others,  while  he  wondered  how  long  Captain  "Woodward 
nad  been  in  command.  He  had  ample  opportunity  of  scrutinizing  his  old  shipmates' 
faces,  as  the  manager  opened  the  exercises  by  delivering  a  long  oration  in  Chinese,  during 
which  he  lauded  Lew-the-cat  to  the  skies.  The  sailor  was  very  much  amused  at  notic- 
ing the  great  Ah-mu  standing  respectfully  behind  the  first  lieutenant's  chair,  he  being 
allowed  at  the  performance  upon  sufferance,  as  he  had  provided  the  Celestial  actors, 
Russell  knowing  that  the  comprador  would  soon  squeeze  enough  profit  out  of  the  ship 
to  defray  all  his  outlay  upon  that  head. 

Finding  Ch'un-foo's  oration  was  rather  a  long  one,  the  first  lieutenant  directed  his- 
band  to  play,  by  way  of  putting  a  stop  to  his  loquacity,  upon  which  they  struck  up 
"  Auld  Lang  Syne,"  but  ere  they  had  fairly  started  the  manager  ceased  speaking,  and 
Jerry  advanced,  and  was  about  to  address  them  preparatory  to  commencing  his  perform- 
ance, when,  thinking  he  was  going  to  favour  them  with  a  speech  in  the  same  style  as  the 
manager,  Russell  nodded  to  the  band  to  "  go  ahead."  As  the  tune  fell  upon  his  ear,  a 
change  came  over  his  heart,  and  the  '•  Cat,"  after  vainly  endeavouring  to  control  his 
feelings,  burst  into  tears,  seeing  which  the  first  lieutenant  stopped  the  tune,  being 


.T.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      151 

unwilling  to  mortify  a  man,  who  he  imagined  was  only  going  through  his  iisual  per- 
formance, and,  like  many  other  professional  gentlemen,  could  not  brook  being  thwarted ; 
for  otherwise  tears  from  a  Chinaman  would  have  been  quite  incomprehensible. 

A  dead  pause  succeeded,  during  which  the  sailor,  to  the  astonishment  of  the  audience 
and  horror  of  his  manager,  coolly  tore  off  his  disguise,  and  stood  before  the  assembly  in 
the  common  wide  trousers  and  jacket  of  the  country,  then  putting  his  hand  to  his  fore- 
head, fumbled  for  a  lock  of  hair,  but  shook  his  head  when  he  recollected  it  was  shaven, 
and  after  a  great  effort  cried  out, 

"  Don't  you  know  me,  shipmates  ?  " 

Of  course  there  was  a  tremendous  excitement  among  the  audience,  but  none  of  them 
recognized  him,  for  they  all  believed  him  dead  months  ago.  They,  however,  cheered  the 
Chinaman  who  spoke  English,  and  then  waited  for  him  to  go  on. 

With  the  tears  trickling  down  his  painted  cheeks,  he  stepped  off  the  stage,  and 
pointing  to  Tom  Clare,  who  was  in  attendance  upon  the  captain,  cried,  "  Tom  Clare, 
don't  you  know  me  ?  I'm  Jerry  Thompson ! "  and  in  an  instant  thrust  his  way 
through  the  crowd,  and  seizing  his  old  friend,  hugged  him  as  a  woman  would  her 
child. 

The  uproar  which  followed  was  deafening.  Some  shouted,  while  others  laughed  in 
a  delirious  sort  of  way ;  but  at  length  when  every  one  of  the  officers  and  crew  had 
shaken  him  by  the  hand  at  least  ten  times,  and  all  knew  that  the  dead  Jerry  had  come 
to  life  again,  he  requested  the  captain  would  order  the  boatswain  to  "  pipe  "belay ; "  then 
stepping  upon  the  stage  and  kow-towing  in  the  orthoaox  Chinese  style  he  proceeded  to 
give  his  delighted  audience  a  short  account  of  his  wonderful  adventures,  after  which 
he  took  his  seat  between  two  of  his  old  friends,  until  the  performance  was  concluded. 

The  next  day  Thompson  was  formally  re-entered  upon  the  books  of  the  Stinger, 
and  as  the  captain  did  not  rate  two  coxswains,  he  appointed  Jerry"  captain  of  the  fore- 
castle, and  within  a  week  after  his  .return,  he  fell  into  his  old  ways,  and  was  as  much 
at  home  on  board  the  .man-of-war  as  ever. 

When  he  confided  his  storyto  Clare,  who  was  greatly  moved  by  his  recital  of  A-tae's 
death,  the  latter  asked  him  if  he  intended  writing  to  Mary  Ann.  For  a  few  moments 
he  seemed  buried  in  thought,  but  after  a  while  le  informed  his  friend  that,  under  the 
circumstances,  he  thought  he  would  wait  until  he  got  over  the  loss  of  A-tae  before  he 
renewed  his  correspondence  with  his  former  love,  adding,  "  She'll  keep  until  I  gets 
home,  and  I  don't  feel  like  writing  just  now." 

Evidently  Jerry  looked  upon  Mary  Ann's  love  as  a  connoisseur  does  wine, — imagin- 
ing it  would  improve  as  it  grew  older.  A-tae  had  spoilt  him  for  ordinary  affection,  and 
he  could  not  so  soon  forget  the  "  pale  lily  "  lying  beneath  the  snow,  near  the  entrance 
of  a  ravine  far  away  in  the  Che-keang  district. 


152  BLUE   JACKETS      OK,    THE   ADVENTUEES   OF 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THOMPSON  could  scarcely  credit  his  senses  when  he  heard  that  flogging  had  been 
abolished  on  board  the  Stinger. 

"  "What !  "  he  observed  to  the  boatswain,  "  are  we  free,  then  ?  " 

"  I'm  surprised  at  you,  Thompson  ;  as  if  you  was  not  free  afore  ! " 

"  Well,  Mr.  Shever,  you  don't  mean  to  tell  me  that  you  really  believes  that  a  man 
thinks  hisself  free,  wlien  at  any  moment  he  may  find  the  cat-o'-nine-tails  flying  across 
his  back,  do  you  ?  " 

"  You  don't  look  at  it  in  a  proper  light,  Jerry.  A  commander  on  one  of  her  Majesty's 
ships-of-war  has  got  to  be  a  big  man,  or  no  one  thinks  anything  of  him.  Now,  all  the 
while  he  has  power  to  flake  his  men  they  fears  him,  and  he  can  cow  the  biggest  roughs 
among  them ;  but  take  it  away,  and  see  what  a  lame-entable  prelude  would  follow." 

"  Gammon  !  You  ain't  a-going  to  persuade  me  to  that,  sir.  "Why,  look  at  us  now. 
Don't  all  of  the  fellers  like  the  captain  and  first  lieutenant  ?  and  they  doesn't  .hold  with 
flogging.  Formerly  the  cussing  on  board  was  ^trong  enough  to  curl  an  iron  rod,  and 
now  we  gets  on  very  nicely,  and  lots  of  our  men  are  learning  to  read  and  write  in 
Lieutenant  Russell's  evening1  school.  It  takes  more-  than  articles  of  war  to  keep  blue 
jackets  in  order,  and  I  knows  I  shouldn't  like  to  be  flaked,  and  don't  believe  you  would, 
sir." 

"  Nonsense,  Thompson  !  I'm  surprised  you  can't  look  at  this  in  its  proper  light ! 
Ain't  all  a  captain  doesmght  ?  Why,  they  knows  more  than  any  one  else  ;  and  if  any 
one  offends  them,  ain't  it  proper  for  'em  to  take  it  out  of  their  backs  ?  I  say  so !  The 
men  is  inferiors,  and  the  officers  is  born  to  rule  over  them,  therefore  if  dissatisfied 
demagogues  find  age-itators  choose  to  think  they  is  as  good  as  their  officers,  let  'em  do 
it ;  but  as  your  friend,  let  me  advise  you  to  steer  clear  of  alljSuch  fools." 

"  I  don't  believe  one  man  is  born  a  bit  better  than  another,  sir  ;  and  as  to  your  idea 
that  God  made  some  men  to  rule  others,  it's  all  my  eye.  I  think  that  the  captain  in  his 
sittyvation  is  just  as  much  bound  to  do  what  is  right  as  we  who  are  under  him,  and  I 
know  the  cat-o-nine-tails  ain't  any  use  in  keeping  discipline,  ftnd  that  it's  played  the 
deuce  with  many  a  good  feller." 

"  Chut,  chut.  Why,  I  know  lots  of  really  good  men  who  would  leave  the  service 
when  their  time  expired,  if  flogging  were  abolished." 

"  Then  all  I  can  say,  Mr.  Shever,  is,  that  you  knows  a  lot  of  fools  ;  and  if  any  of 
them  was  to  up  and  say  such  a  lie  in  my  company,  I'll  tell  them  just  what  I  do  you. 
I've  heered  a  slave  in  the  Brazils  say  as  how  he  wouldn't  be  free  if  they  gev  him  the 
chance,  and  that  slavery  was  a  thundering  good  thing  for  everybody  wot  hadn't  got  no 
money." 

"  Well,  he  was  right.  It  is  a  fine  thing  for  poor  people.  What  are  all  the  poor 
people  at  home  but  slaves  ?  only  they  ain't  called  so.  He  was  a  sensible  man,  and 
spoke  the  truth." 

"  Hold  hard,  sir  !  Hear  me  out.  Well,  I  kept  my  eye  on  that  feller,  and  thought 
precious  mean  thing  a  man  was  when  he  gave  up  all  ideas  of  trying  to  assert 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    '"THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE."  153 

his  rights,  but  the  slave  would  every  day  have  some  chat  about  how  comfortable  it  was 
to  think  he  would  be  provided  for  in  his  old  age  by  his  indulgent  master,  until  we  got 
a  little  sick  of  it,  particular  as  his  old  man  hoisted  him  up  one  morning,  and  gave  him 
a  lot  of  lashes  with  a  cowhide." 

"  Well,  I  suppose  he  deserved  it  ?  " 

"  Hold  hard !  let  me  finish  my  yarn,  sir.  He  was  flaked  upon  the  wharf,  and  all  of 
us  chaps —  we  was  in  a  merchant  ship  where  the  skipper  daren't  flog  us — looked  on  and 
swore  we'd  pound  his  master  if  we  only  caught  him  alone.  "Well,  would  you  believe 
it?  when  he  was  cast  off,  the  feller  actually  walked  to  his  master,  knelt  down,  and, 
afore  everybody,  begged  he  would  forgive  him  for  having  given  him  so  much  trouble." 

"  He  was  a  sensible  man." 

"  Werry  sensible.  We  sailed  that  night ;  and  just  as  I  was  castin'  off  the  gangway 
plank  down  rushes  the  slave,  and  as  he  spoke  English  very  well,  he  hails  me.  '  What 
do  you  want  ? '  sez  I.  But  afore  I  had  hardly  got  the  words  out  of  my  mouth  he  jumps 
aboard,  and  saying,  '  Hide  me,  I've  killed  my  master,'  dived  below  and  hid  hisself." 

"  Do  you  call  that  sensible  behaviour  ?  " 

"  Rather,  Mr.  Shever.  I  held  my  tongue,  and  when  we  was  out  to  sea  hunted  him 
out,  and  giv  him  some  grub,  when  he  told  me  that  as  he  couldn't  put  up  with  the  lash 
no  longer,  he  had  killed  his  owner,  and  chanced  escaping  in  our  ship,  and  that  all  his 
fine  talk  about  liking  to  be  flogged  was  only  done  to  blind  his  master." 

"  Do  you  think  that  a  small  affair  like  a  flogging  justified  him  in  killing  bis 
superior  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  anything  about  superiors  in  that  way,  sir,  but  I  knows  one  thing, 
that  if  any  man  was  to  flake  me  for  his  own  amusement,  I'd  not  hesitate  to  do  as  he 
did,  as  I  don't  think  I  belong  to  the  dog  speecee,  if  you  does,  Mr.  Shever." 

With  a  look  meant  to  express  contempt  blended  with  pity  for  one  so  utterly  lost  to 
reason,  Mr.  Shever  stopped  further  discussion  by  replying,  "  Silence,  you  ungrateful 
young  man  !  Never  speak  to  me  again  unless  on  duty.  I  wash  my  hands  of  you  and 
all  as  b»lds  such  revolutionary  opinions.  I'm  sorry  Captain  Puffeigh  is  not  in  com- 
mand :  "  saying  which  he  turned  away  with  an  oath,  and  went  below. 

Jerry  eyed  his  form  as  it  vanished  down  the  hatchway,  and  then  remarked  to  the 
men  who  had  gathered  round  him  during  the  conversation,  "  Sorry  the  old  skipper  ain't 
in  the  ship.  Ugh  !  you  blood-thirsty  brute  !  Sorry  you  can't  cut  us  up  with  the  lash, 
as  you  did  under  bully  Crushe.  Cut  my  acquaintance  !  I  cuts  yours,  as  I'd  scorn  to 
be  upon  speaking  terms  with  a  warrant-officer  as  holds  such  opinions  as  you  does.  I 
wish  your  wife  could  hear  you  talk  like  that ;  she'd  put  you  to  rights,  I  know." 

Thompson  heard  the  news  of  the  attack  upon  Canton ;  and,  with  the  rest  of  his 
shipmates  burned  to  be  present  at  the  bombardment  of  that  city.  The  sailors  seemed 
to  think  that  they  would  prefer  to  be  where  they  could  give  hard  knocks,  and  it  pro- 
duced no  little  amount  of  growling  when  mail  after  mail  arrived,  and  still  no  orders  to 
move.  At  length,  however,  when  the  spring  had  well  advanced,  a  P.  and  O.  steamer 
calling  at  Chin-hae,  sent  up  dispatches  directing  Captain  Paul  Woodward  to  start  for 
Hong-Kong  with  all  possible  dispatch ;  whereupon  he  proceeded  to  get  ready  for  sea, 
and  within  twenty-four  hours  they  dropped  down  to  Chin-hae,  and  getting  up  steam, 
left  for  the  south.  The  steamer  carrying  the  dispatches  had  also  brought  their  mail- 
bags,  and  Clare  had  several  letters  from  his  wife,  parts  of  which  he  read  to  his  friend  ; 
while,  strange  to  say,  the  latter  received  one  from  his  mother,  of  whom  he  had  not  heard 
for  years  ;  and  as  it  will  serve  to  show  how  forgetful  some  sailors  are  of  those  for  whom 
they  really  entertain  great  affection,  we  give  her  letter. 


154  BLDE  JACKETS;  OR,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

"  Nonnington,  Kent. 

"  2  January, 

"  MY  DEAR  BOY, 

"  I  am  rejoiced  to  hear  you're  alive  and  well,*  and  you  will  be  pleased  to 
know  I  am,  considering  my  age,  quite  hearty.  I  suppose  you  don't  think  I'm  alive,  or 
would  have  written  to  me.  Now  I  hope,  if  these  few  lines  reach  you,  to  receive  a  letter  in 
return  from  my  youngest  born,  who  I  love,  although  I  have  not  seen  or  heard  from  him  for 
eleven  years.  You  will  be  wondering  how  I  came  to  hear  of  you.  Well,  to  make  a  long  story 
short  I  were  a  sitting  by  the  fire  one  snowy  night  about  a  month  ago,  when  some  one 
knocked  at  the  door  and  begged  shelter  for  pity's  sake,  as  he  were  near  frozen.  Your  Cousin 
Ellen,  who  lives  with  me — I  live  now  in  '  Trotman's  Charity.'  You  know  the  row  of 
almshouses.  Very  comfortable  they  are,  too,  and  good  of  the  founder,  who  has  been  dead 
two  hundred  years.  Well,  Ellen,  who  writes  this  for  me,  went  to  the  door  and  saw  a 
man  covered  with  snow,  and  nearly  starved  from  cold.  I  asked  him  to  come  in  and 
draw  up  to  the  fire,  seeing  he  were  a  sailor;  and  after  he  got  a  little  thawed,  he  told  ine  his 
name  was  Harry  Tomlin,  and  that  he'd  run  away  from  a  man-of-war  at  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  then  entered  a  ship  bound  for  Australia,  "where  he  landed  without  a  shil- 
ling ;  and  he  gave  us  a  long  account  of  his  adventures,  how  he'd  made  some  money, 
and  had  arrived  in  England  a  few  days  ago,  and  were  bound  to  Eythorne  that  night,  but 
had  been  overtaken  by  the  snow,  and  nearly  frozen  to  death.  Me  and  Ellen  heard  his 
story  with  tears  in  our  eyes ;  and  when  he  had  finished  I  a.sked  him  if  ever  he  had  been 
in  a  merchant  ship,  as  I  had  a  dear  boy  who  were  a  sailor,  and  who  were,  I  feared  no 
more.  Upon  which  he  says,  '  But  why  not  in  a  man-of-war,  marm  ? '  '  Because,'  I  said, 
'  my  Jerry  were  too  good-tempered  as  a  lad  to  spill  people's  blood,  and  I  know  he 
wouldn't  enter  a  man-of-war ;  Heaven  forbid,'  said  I.  '  Jerry,  marm.'  he  said.  '  Why, 
you  never  mean  to  say  Jerry  Thompson,  do  you  ? '  Upon  hearing  of  which  I  fainted 
away,  and  were  some  time  before  I  could  hear  all  about  your  being  so  good  and  clever; 
and,  in  fact,  you  ought  to  be  a  captain  but  for  the  regulations  not  allowing.  He  left 
the  next  day  after  giving  me  your  direction,  and  I  have  sent  this  letter  to  the  place  he 
said.  Now,  my  dear  boy,  write  me  as  soon  as  you  can,  and  believe  I  love  you  as  much 
as  ever.  With  love,  in  which  Ellen  joins,  I  am  your  affectionate  mother, 

"FANNY  THOMPSON." 

"P.  S.  The  old  lady  gets  about  wonderfully,  and  with  your  aunt,  Mary  Golder;  is 
living  in  the  alms-house  where  Miss  Hoodruff  used  to  live.  They  both  talk  a  great 
deal  about  you,  and  it  will  be  a  dutiful  act  for  you  to  write  to  her  now  and  then.  Pro- 
bably you  have  forgotten  me,  as  I  was  but  a  child  when  you  left,  but  I  remember  you 
gave  me  a  kiss  when  you  bade  me  good-bye. 

"  Your  loving  cousin, 

"  ELLEN." 

Thompson  read  the  foregoing  very  carefully,  and  before  they  arrived  in  port  wrote 
a  long  letter  in  reply,  which  he  sent  home  by  the  first  mail,  and  never  afterwards 
missed  an  opportunity  of  letting  his  mother  know  about  his  welfare. 

Upon  their  arrival  in  Hong-Kong,  where  a  large  fleet  was  assembled,  Captain 
Woodward  received  orders  to  proceed  to  the  Bocca  Tigris  Forts  in  the  Canton  river ; 
and  without  an  hour's  delay,  after  getting  in  provisions,  water,  and  ammunition,  they 
eteamed  out  of  the  harbour,  and  in  a  short  time  anchored  off  the  Wantung  Forts, 

*  She  knew  nothing  of  his  reported  death. 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    "  THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE/'  155 

where  they  landed  their  marines  and  as  many  blue-jackets  as  they  could  spare,  to  form 
a  garrison. 

One  morning,  as  the  bugle  was  going  for  parade,  a  steamer  hove  in  sight,  and  in  a, 
short  time  Captain  Woodward  received  instructions  to  embark  on  board  his  boats  with 
his  spare  seamen  and  the  whole  of  his  marines,  who  were  each  to  carry  at  least  sixty 
rounds  of  ammunition,  and  when  the  gun-boats  came  up,  to  go  on  board  them,  and  pro- 
ceed to  the  attack  of  the  Imperial  junks  then  assembled  in  Chow-chan  Creek.  When. 
the  boats  were  manned  and  armed,  the  commander  directed  them  to  pull  out  towards 
the  flotilla,  which  had  not  been  long  in  making  its  appearance.  As  the  gun-boats  came 
up,  it  was  noticed  that  each  was  towing  a  long  string  of  boats,  cutters,  pinnaces,  and 
gigs,  and  upon  seeing  the  Stingers,  one  of  them  stopped  to  receive  them  on  board  ; 
then,  having  made  fast  her  boats,  gave  a  shrill  whistle,  and  started  after  her  com- 
panions, Beauman,  who  was  left  in  charge,  dipping  the  ensign  by  way  of  salute  as  they 
passed  the  ship. 

The  gun-boats  steamed  away  at  full  speed  up  the  Canton  river^now  between  high 
banks,  which  completely  shut  them  in,  and  prevented  their  seeing  anything  of  the  sur- 
rounding country ;  now  in  places  where  the  stream  wound  through  a  flat  district, 
entirely  given  up  to  rice  cultivation ;  while  their  appearance,  instead  of  intimidating 
the  Chinese  who  worked  in  the  fields,  seemed  to  give  them  a  great  deal  of  amusement, 
as  in  some  places  the  labourers  would  gather  upon  the  banks  and  shout  derisively  to 
the  Fanquis,  who  were  going  up  to  be  eaten  by  the  Imperial  tigers  at  Chow-chan. 
Here  and  there  011  either  side  of  the  banks  they  passed  the  ruins  of  forts  destroyed  by 
the  ships  the  year  before,  but  no  attempt  was  made  to  molest  them  until  they  arrived 
within  about  three  miles  of  the  barrier,  where  a  drunken  bannermaii  stood  upon  the 
bank  with  a  "  brave's  "  matchlock,  and  after  shouting  and  gesticulating,  brought  the 
whole  flotilla  to  a  standstill. 

"  What  do  you  want  ?  "  hailed  the  interpreter. 

"  G-o  back,  you  red-headed,  unshaven  barbarians,  you  pink-eyed,  man-eating  fiends 
— go  back  !  go  back  !  " 

"  What  does  he  say  ?  "  demanded  the  commander  of  H.M.S.  Squelcher,  which  was 
the  leading  boat. 

"  He  says  we're  to  go  back." 

"  Tell  him  to — Go  on  ahead,  fuH  speed,"  testily  replied  the  latter,  as  he  noticed 
through  his  glass  that  the  bannerman  was  intoxicated 

"  Signal  flying  from  the  Jolter.     What  have  you  stopped  for  ? 

"  Reply,  All  right,  and  go  on  ahead." 

Seeing  the  audacious  red-haired  demons  did  not  comply  with  his  modest  order, 
the  bannerman  levelled  his  matchlock  and  managed-  to  plump  a  ball  aboard  the 
Squelcher,  upon  which  her  commander  directed  a  sentry  to  fire.  The  marine  coolly 
raised  his  rifle — took  a  careful  sight— then  crack  went  the  piece,  and  the  daring 
bannerman,  placing  his  hands  upon  his  waistband,  as  though  suddenly  seized  with 
cholera,  doubled  himself  up  and  rolled  down  into  the  river,  where  he  was  drowned 
like  a  kitten. 

After  passing  through  the  barriers,  which  were  formed  of  thick  piles  driven 
across  the  river,  the  flotilla  came  to  anchor  a  little  below  the  entrance  of  Chow- 
chan  creek,  and  just  astern  of  H.M.  ships  Blowfly  and  Porpoise,  on  board  of  which 
the  men  who  could  not  find  accommodation  in  the  gun-boats  passed  the  night. 

About  an  hour  before  the  first  streaks  of  light  dawned  in  the  sky  the  men  were 
turned  out,  the  boats  manned,  and  made  i'ast  to  the  gun-boats.  The  latter  got  up 
anchor,  and  steamed  slowly  towards  the  enemy.  A  thick  mist  hung  about  the  fleet 


156  BLUE  JACKETS;   OK,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

of  junks  anchored  up  the  creek,  and  it  -was  not  until  the  gun-boats  opened  fire  with 
their  heavy  rockets  that  the  Chinese  seemed  fully  awake,  although  they  had  been 
"beating  gongs  and  letting  off  crackers  all  night ;  however,  when  they  found  the 
rockets  flying  about  them,  they  returned  the  compliment  to  the  best  of  their  ability, 
and  a  small  fort  situated  upon  an  eminence  to  the  left  opened  a  deadly  fire,  but  it 
•was  at  once  assaulted  and  carried  by  the  officer  who  commanded  the  expedition. 
This  done,  the  guns  of  the  fort  were  directed  upon  the  junks  ranged  upon  two 
«ides  of  a  delta  formed  by  the  junction  of  Chow-chan  with  another  creek,  then  the  gun- 
boats crossed  the  front  of  the  low  island,  and,  under  a  murderous  fire,'  proceeded  up  the 
right  channel. 

Boats  were  sunk, — oars  cut  off  short  at  the  loom, — and  men  killed  and  thrown  over- 
board during  the  terrible  moments  they  were  exposed  to  a  perfect  hail  of  shot  from  the 
war  junks ;  but  in  spite  of  the  shower  of  missiles,  which  included  copper  nails,  cash, 
and  links  of  chain,  the  gun-boats  steadily  advanced,  and  threw  shot,  shell,  and  rockets 
into  the  enemy  with  great  precision  ;  and  although  several  of  them  got  aground,  they 
managed  to  get  off  again,  and  renewed  the  fight  with  greater  vigour  than  before. 

Some  most  gallant  acts  were  performed,  and  one  captain  led  on  his  men  sward  in 
hand  until  his  boat  was  sinking  under  him,  when  he  stepped  from  it  into  one  that  was 
passing,  and,  in  spite  of  the  deadly  storm  of  missiles  which  flew  around  him,  coolly  tore 
a  strip  of  blue  serge  off  a  sailor's  garment,  and  hoisting  the  scrap  upon  a  boat-hook, 
cried,  "  The  blue  never  surrenders,"  then  again  cheered  the  sailors  on  to  the  attack. 
He  had  with  him  in  his  gig  a  fine  Newfoundland  dog,  but  as  the  coxswain  who  at- 
tended it,  was  killed  and  went  down  with  the  boat,  the  animal  would  not  leave  the 
spot,  but  was  picked  up  some  time  afterwards.  After  a  desperate  combat,  during 
which  a  great  many  men  were  killed  or  wounded,  one  of  the  junks  blew  up,  and  it 
•was  soon  observed  that  the  rest  were  endeavouring  to  move  off  towards  Chow-chan. 

The  gun-boats  finding  the  range  of  the  junks,  "which  "were  fast  getting  aground 
through  the  falling  of  the  tide,  now  kept  up  a  deadly  fire  with  their  heavy  bow  guns ; 
and,  after  a  desperate  resistance,  the  Chow-chan  fleet,  commanded  by  one  of  the  most 
able  scholars  of  the  country,  was  reduced  to  a  mere  wreck.  Some  junks  escaped  and 
reached  Canton,  where  Yeh  immediately  imprisoned  their  officers  for  not  having 
thrashed  the  "  red-headed  barbarians,"  but  the  greater  part  of  the  fleet,  burnt  down  to 
their  magazines,  then  blew  up  and  scattered  their  timbers  all  over  the  creek.  The 
ship's  boats  approached  the  burning  vessels,  and  even  passed  them,  in  spite  of  the  war 
rockets  piled  inside  the  junks,  which  would  ignite,  and  tearing  through  the  sides,  go 
flying  over  the  boats,  in  some  cases  dropping  into  them  and  killing  the  sailors. 

As  the  Chinese  admiral  expected  a  pretty  severe  engagement,  he  had  ordered  that  men 
•who  had  never  before  been  in  action  were  to  be  chained  to  their  guns,  and  this  command 
was  pretty  generally  adopted  by  the  captains.  When  the  junks  exploded  the  poor  wretches 
•were  elevated  in  batches  ;  and  their  yells,  when  they  caught  fire,  were  plainly  heard  by 
the  sailors,  who,  however,  did  not  seem  to  be  much  affected  thereby. 

Not  contented  with  merely  destroying  the  Chinese  fleet,  the  fire-eating  captain  who 
had  lost  his  gig,  upon  falling  in  with  a  few  of  his  own  boats, .  actually  pursued  some 
flying  junks  as  far  as  Chow-chan  city,  and,  mounting  a  boat's  gun  upon  the  wall,  coolly 
declared  he  took  possession  of  that  place.  After  having  terrified  a  number  of  the  Chow- 
channers  nearly  out  of  their  senses  and  causing  the  Taontai  to  almost  die  with  fright, 
he  recalled  his  men,  and  returned  to  the  flotilla,  which  by  that  time  had  mustered 
preparatory  to  returning. 

As  they  passed  down  the  creek  they  picked  up  the  dead  bodies  of  those  who  had 
been  killed  and  thrown  overboard  during  the  action,  and  having  conveyed  them  along- 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      157 

aide  H.  M.  S.  Blow-fly,  the  crew  of  that  ship,  after  dark,  buried  them  in  the  mud  of  the- 
river. 

When  the  flotilla  arrived  alongside  the  ships  they  discharged  most  of  their  men  to 
them,  and  anchored  until  the  next  morning,  the  Stingers  being  drafted  to  the  Porpoise. 
They  had  been  all  day  without  taking  a  regular  meal,  and  were  consequently  very 
hungry;  but,  to  their  astonishment  and  disgust,  after  having  smelt  the  savoury 
perfume  of  the  soup,  which  was  boiling  in  her  coppers,  they  with  the  crew  were  piped 
aft  to  hear  the  "  Thanksgiving  after  a  victory"  read  by  a  well-fed  clergyman,  who  had 
(very  properly)  "viewed  the  battle  from  afar." 

There,  with  the  enticing  vapour  of  rich  soup  steaming  from  the  galley,  and  rendering 
them  more  hungry  than  before,  the  grimy,  tired,  thirsty  tars  were  tortured  with  a  form 
which  might  just  as  well  have  been  gone  through  after  their  bodies  were  refreshed  ; 
but  the  Reverend  Mr.  Service  considered  his  feelings  ought  to  be  consulted  before  a  lot 
of  common  sailors,  so  he  had  the  first  innings ;  and  as  he  prayed  the  wicked  tars  did  just 
the  reverse,  and  when  the  service  was  over,  they  wese  out  of  temper,  the  soup  burnt, 
and  a  general  feeling  of  discontent  experienced  by  all,  except  the  Reverend  gentleman, 
who  beat  the  assistant-surgeon  twice  running  at  chess ;  and,  upon  retiring  to  rest, 
dreamed  he  was  appointed  Bishop  of  Chow-chan,  with  a  large  endowment,  and  permis- 
sion to  live  in  Paris,  or  go  anywhere  but  to  his  See. 

Upon  their  return  to  the  Stinger,  her  crew  learned  they  were  to  proceed  to  Hong- 
Kong  and  refit ;  so  within  a  week  of  the  battle  of  Chow-chan  the  whole  of  them  had 
enjoyed  a  run  on  shore  in  the  settlement,  and,  getting  short  of  money,  were  quite  ready 
for  sea  again. 

During  the  vessel's  stay  in  port  on  this  occasion  a  most  interesting  event  occurred, 
at  which  all  the  Stingers  were  invited  to  assist.  This  was  the  marriage  of  Miss  Moore, 
whom  they  had  rescued  from  the  pirates,  with  a  wealthy  merchant  of  Hong-Kong, 
named  Mackay ;  and  on  the  day  of  the  ceremony  the  crew,  having  been  granted  a 
holiday,  marched  to  the  church,  and  formed  a  double  line  from  the  door  of  the  sacred 
edifice. 

As  the  bride,  leaning  on  the  arm  of  Captain  Woodward,  passed  through  this  guard 
of  honour,  the  grateful  girl  stopped  and  inquired  for  Thompson. 

T~hi«  ordin-irily  self-possessed  individual,  on  stepping  forward,  was  so  confused,  that 
he  blushed  like  a  maiden. 

"  How  are  you,  my  good  friend  ?  "  said  the  warm-hearted  girl.  "  I  should  indeed 
have  been  sorry  if  you  had  not  Tseen  here  to-day." 

"  I'm  pretty  well,  miss,"  replied  the  sailor,  bewildered  by  the  charming  sight,  and 
perhaps  slightly  uneasy  in  his  mind  relative  to  the  kiss  he  had  been  bold  enough  to 
take  from  one  so  lovely,  under  circumstances  previously  related,  "  and  it's  real  glad  I 
feel  to  see  you  looking  so  well  and  so  beautiful." 

"  He  must  go  into  the  church  with  us,  Captain  Woodward,"  pleaded  the  young  lady. 

"  Anything  in  the  world  to  make  your  happiness  complete,"  smilingly  rejoined  that 
gallant  officer. 

By  some  means  Thompson  was  placed  in  a  pew  near  a  Chinese  lady's-maid,  who 
during  the  ceremony  made  big  eyes  at  him,  and  otherwise  endeavoured  to  attract  hi.s 
attention ;  but  he  was  proof  against  her  allurements :  so,  finding  her  glances  thrown 
away  upon  him,  she  turned  her  battery  against  the  heart  of  a  susceptible  midshipman, 
who  thereupon  fell  in  love  with  her,  and,  before  many  days  were  over,  seriously  offered 
to  wed  her,  a  proposition  which  she  wisely  rejected.  When  the  ceremony  was  completed, 
and  the  former  Miss  Moore  saluted  as  Mrs.  Mackay,  her  husband  looked  about,  and 


158  BLUE  JACKETS  ;  OK,  THE  ADVENTUKES  OF 

asked  where  the  sailor  was  to  whom  he  owed  so  much.     Upon  which  the  master  pointed 
/ut  Thompson,  who  was  looking  at  the  group  with  a  very  admiring-  air. 

"  Thompson,  let  me  thank  you  for  your  great  care  of  the  dear  girl  who  is  now  my 
wife.  Come,  she  wishes  to  speak  for  herself." 

During  this  speech  the  bride  had  been  saluted  by  nearly  all  the  officers,  and  there 
was  no  mistaking  the  meaning  of  the  happy  bridegroom  when  he  led  the  sailor  forward 
and  presented  him  to  his  wife.  Had  he  been  the  Thompson  of  old  no  doubt  he  would 
have  availed  himself  of  the  occasion ;  but  instead  of  that  he  bowed,  and  wishing  her 
every  happiness  that  the  world  could  afford,  amid  the  smiles  of  the  officers,  quietly 
pulled  the  stubby  hair  upon  his  forehead,  and  left  the  church. 

''  I  could  no  more  ha'  kissed  that  bsautiful  \voman  afore  all  them  there  officers  than  I 
could  have  flied,"  he  observed  to  one  of  his  chums.  Possibly  he  was  a  little  quelled  by 
the  presence  of  his  commander,  but  the  fact  was  he  thought  of  A-tae,  and  the  memory 
prevented  him  taking  advantage  of  a  woman's  gratitude  for  the  very  slight  service  he 
considered  he  had  rendered. 

While  the  wedding  breakfast  was  in  progress,  the  sailors  and  their  friends  were 
entertained  in  the  grand  marquee,  erected  for  their  special  accommodation ;  and  in  the 
evening  Jerry  and  others  performed  for  their  amusement,  the  affair  terminating  with  a 
grand  hornpipe  by  the  company,  who  declared  they  would  like  to  rescue  a  young  lady 
every  day,  if  the  exploit  would  be  followed  by  such  a  real  good  feed  as  Mr.  Mackay 
gave  them.  They  enjoyed  themselves  like  men,  and  a  few  of  them  danced  until  they 
were  obliged  to  retire  to  the  outside%  of  the  marquee  and  sleep  off  the  effects  of  the 
exercise;  but  as  a  body  they  behaved  in  a  manner  which  was  a  compliment  to  their 
officers,  and  a  credit  to  themselves. 

Mrs.  Mackay  was  always  a  firm  friend  to  the  sailors  belonging  to  the  men-of-war,  and 
many  were  the  baskets  of  fruit  she  sent  to  the  sick  on  board  H.  M.  S.  Dead-and-alive  > 
while,  through  her  intercession,  several  poor  fellows  escaped  the  lash,  as  she  would,  when 
men  misbehaved  themselves  on  shore,  get  her  husband  to  plead  in  their  behalf ;  and  was 
so  much-  thought  of  by  the  sailors,  that  when  she  appeared  in  the  streets  they  would 
cease  their  talk,  take  their  pipes  out  of  their  mouths,  and  salute  her  with  the  utmost 
respect. 

Thompson  was  often  invited  to  her  house,  but  would  never  stay  more  than  a  few 
moments ;  however,  one  day  she  entrapped  him  into  conversation,  whereupon  he  told 
her  about  A-tae.  After  hearing  his  story  to  the  end,  she  wiped  her  eyes,  which  had 
been  suffused  during  his  recital  of  the  tragic  fate  of  the  poor  girl,  and  bade  him  never 
forget  such  a  low,  but  at  the  same  time  not  to  shut  his  heart  against  the  sex,  as  she 
doubted  not  there  was  a  good  girl  waiting  for  him  somewhere ;  and  if  he  would  take 
courage,  no  doubt  when  he  reached  home  he  would  meet  with  her.  To  which  kind 
speech  Jerry  replied  with  a  touch  of  his  old  drollery. 

"That's  true  enough,  miss"  (he  always  persisted  in  calling  her  so,  in  spite  of  her 
gently  correcting  him),  "but  the  worst  of  it  is,  it  ain't  only  one  as  is  a  waiting  for  me, — 
that's  what  I'm  thinking  of.  It's  hard,  ain't  it  ?  to  be  afraid  of  former  promises." 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  there  was  still  some  hope  for  the  love-stricken  sailor,  who 
after  that  interview  somewhat  recovered  from  his  apathy,  and  before  they  left  Hong- 
Kong  had  almost  made  up  his  mind  to  write  to  Mary  Ann.  However,  upon  hearing 
they  were  ordered  to  Japan,  he  changed  his  determination,  and  decided  to  wait  until 
they  returned. 

"What  was  Mary  Ann  about  all  the  time  ?  "Waiting  patiently  for  him,  he  imagined. 
Let  us  take  a  peep  at  her. 

Upon  receiving  the  news  of  her  lover's  death  the  poor  girl  went  into  mourning,  and 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."     1  59 

grieved  as  much  as  though  he  had  been  her  husband ;  but  being  good-looking,  the  young 
men  of  her  acquaintance  did  not  give  her  much  peace,  so  she  quitted  the  service  of 
Sirs.  Puffeigh,  and  went  to  live  with  her  sister,  Mrs.  Shever,  who  had  opened  a  small 
dress-making  establishment  in  Portsmouth.  Here  she  endeavoured  to  forget  her  sorrows ; 
but  at  times  her  sister,  who  was  uncommonly  fond  of  digging  up  buried  memories, 
would  refer  to  the  departed  sailor,  upon  which  they  would  both  have  a  good  cry,  and 
then  fall  to  work  upon  the  dresses  in  hand  with  greater  energy  than  ever.  However, 
after  some  months  had  elapsed,  the  young  man  described  in  Jerry's  letter  as  the  "  car- 
penter who  was  after  no  goode,"  would  come  in  and  chat  with  the  lone  women,  and  even 
bring  papers  of  candy,  and  other  love  offerings,  which  he  cunningly  presented  to 
Mrs.  Shever,  who  regularly  handed  them  over  to  Mary  Ann,  as  soon  as  her  lover  had 
departed.  This  diagonal  sori  of  courtship  was  kept  for  a  long  time  without  his  coming 
to  the  point,  until  one  afternoon  the  sighing  swain  appeared  with  an  order  for  the  thea- 
tre, and  Mary  Ann  being  absent,  the  boatswain's  wife  shut  the  door,  and  fiercely  demand- 
ed what  he  wanted  to  be  always  lolloping  about  their  premises  fo  r,  upon  which,  being 
cornered,  the  bashful  youth  blurted  out, 

"  Your  sister,  of  course." 

"  What  do  you  want  with  her  ?     Mind,  I'll  have  no  trifling." 

"  Who's  agoing  to  trifle  ?  do  I  look  like  a  trifler  ?  "  demanded  the  brawny  youth 
with  an  injured  air. 

"  Well,  you'd  better  not,  that's  all !  But  what  do  you  mean  by  your  candy,  and 
your  theatre  orders  ?  Speak  out !  " 

"  I  means  all  right ;  that's  what  I  means.  I  never  walked  with  a  gal  before  in  my 
life,  and  I  likes  Polly  too  much  to  come  here  and  not  mean  anything." 

"  But  what  do  you  want  to  walk  with  her  for  ?  "  screamed  the  excited  matron  who 
began  to  fear  her  sister  would  return  before  she  had  woAned  the  confession  out  of  the 
bashful  young  carpenter. 

"  Why  I  wants  to  marry  she,  but  she  be  so  mighty  shy,  that  I  haven't  had  a 
chance,"  bellowed  the  youth  in  his  own  patois  ;  "  there  !  now  I  feels  better,  havin"  told 
you-" 

Upon  this  Mrs.  Shever  mollified  her  manner,  and  having  agreed  to  his  proposal  to 
visit  the  theatre,  she  dismissed  him  witli  the  remark  that  if  he  didn't  declare  his  inten- 
tions that  evening  she'd  wait  for  him,  as  he  left  the  dockyard  the  next  day. 

About  half-past  six  Mary  Ann  and  her  sister  were  dressed  and  awaiting  his  arrival, 
when  a  knock  was  heard  at  the  front  door,  and  presently  in  marched  the  enamoured 
youth,  bearing  in  each  hand  an  enormous  bouquet  made,  up  of  cabbage  roses,  and  other 
sweet-smelling  but  somewhat  gaudy  flowers.  As  he  advanced  he  caught  Mrs.  Shever's 
eye,  and  recollecting  her  threat,  plumped  down  upon  one  knee,  dropped  his  offerings, 
and  blurted  out, 

"  Mary  Ann,  wilt  have  me  for  your  feller  ?  " 

The  boatswain's  wife  prudently  left  the  room. 

"  Come,  lass,  thee  might  as  well  say  yea.     I'm  moighty  fond  of  thee." 

"  Really,  Mr.  Jenkins,  you  have  taken  me  so  by  surprise,  I —  Don't  squeeze  my  hand 
so, — you're  hurting  me." 

"  Come,  my  dear  lass,  put  me  out  of  moi  misery.  Say  no,  and  I'll  blow  out  moi 
brains';  say  yes,  and  111  gie  thee  a  hqarty  kiss." 

Just  then  Mary  Ann  heard  a  light  tapping  at  the  window,  so  she  observed  in  a  very 
low  voice,  "I  should — be  very  sorry — to — to — think  you — would  injure  yourself  out 
of  regard  for  me — so  I "  (here  the  tapping  became  very  distinct)  "  will  say  yes  to  save 
you  from — " 


160 


BLUE  JACKETS;  OR,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 


"  Bless  thy  heart,  my  dear  gal.  I'll  treat  thee  like  a  queen,"  cried  the  elated  carpen- 
.  ter,  giving  the  blushing  girl  a  hug,  which  almost  took  her  breath  away,  at  which  oppor- 
tune moment  her  sister  returned. 

"  Good  gracious !  why,  what  are  you  about,  Mr.  Jenkins  ?  " 

"  Only  adoin'  what  you  told  me,"  replied  the  lover. 

"  Me  told  you,  Mr.  Jenkins  ?  " 

"  There,  there,  name  the  day,  and  let's  get  it  over,"  said  the  youth.  But  Mary  Ann 
was  not  to  be  carried  by  storm  in  that  way ;  so  she  put  off  replying  to  the  question 
until  they  returned  from  the  theatre,  where  unluckily  they  saw  "  Romeo  and  Juliet " 
acted  ;  and  the  girl  would  persist  in  crying  during  the  performance,  as  it  reminded  her 
so  strongly  of  the  never-to-be-forgotten  night.  However,  after  partaking  of  a  light 
supper  consisting  of  a  beefsteak-pudding  and  baked  potatoes,  upon  Mrs.  Shever  artfully 
reminding  the  lover  that  Polly  had  not  replied  to  his  request,  and  begging  it  might  be 
done  at  once,  that  she  could  drink  their  health  and  happiness  with  her  first  sup  of 
porter,  the  poor  girl  consented  ;  and  upon  the  day  Mrs.  Mackay  advised  Thompson  "  to 
think  of  the  good  girl  waiting  for  him  somewhere  at  home,"  Mary  Ann  found  herself, 
"  until  death  did  her  part,"  joined  to  the  young  carpenter  who  was  after  no  good,  and 
became  Mrs.  Joseph  Jenkins,  thus  demonstrating  the  folly  of  Jerry's  illusion,  "  that 
Mary  Ann  would  keep." 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      161 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

CAPTAIN  WOODWARD'S  kindness  towards  him  and  the  good  news  he  received  from 
his  wife,  effected  a  wonderful  alteration  in  Clare's  appearance,  and  the  little  doctor 
congratulated  him  on  his  returning  health. 

"  I'm  better,  thankee,  sir — wonderfully  better — but  at  times  my  heart  beats  so  that 
I  can  hardly  breathe.  I  think  it's  better,  though,  since  I've  been  coxswain." 

"  You  see  how  foolish  you  were  to  worry  yourself  about  what  has  proved  to  be  an 
idle  fear,  as  all  your  surmises  have  turned  out  to  be  incorrect " 

"  I'm  well  enough  now,  doctor.     Don't  you  think  so  ?  " 

"  Yes,  you  are  well ;  but  you  must  take  care  of  yourself,  and  not  get  excited." 

"  I  mean,  don't  you  think  I'm  in  my  senses  ?  " 

"  Certainly  I  do,  Clare." 

"Well,  doctor,  I  saw  my  wife's  spirit  on  the  16th  of  last  August — this  month  is 
July.  I've  heard  from  her,  and  know  she  is  alive  as  far  as  I  can  tell  at  this  moment. 
I  consider  the  16th  of  August  to  be  her  day,  and  if  she  visits  me  agin,  I'm  sure  she 
will  die  before  I  see  her." 

"  I  shall  have  to  put  you  upon  the  sick  list  if  you  talk  like  that.  Why,  you  are  as 
superstitious  as  ever." 

Tom  smiled  sadly,  but  assured  the  doctor  that  it  was  not  superstition,  but  faith  on 
his  part,  adding,  "  in  my  country  a  fetch  sometimes  comes  every  year  for  fifty  years, 
but  the  person  it  represents  always  dies  on  that  day." 

The  doctor  looked  at  his  patient  for  a  few  moments,  and  told  him  that  he  would 
engage  to  cure  the  worst  cases  of  fetch  that  Tom  might  bring  to  him  ;  and  as  his  own 
was  a  pretty  decided  one,  he  should  put  him  under  treatment  for  it  at  once,  although 
he  was  not  to  be  considered  upon  the  sick  list. 

The  doctor's  plan  was  effectual,  for  in  a  short  time  the  seaman  renounced  his  delu- 
sion, and  became  quite  convinced  that  it  had  proceeded  from  disordered  digestion :  and 
before  they  left  for  Japan  he  penned  the  following  letter  to  his  wife,  from  which  it 
will  be  seen  that  his  orthography  had  improved  under  Lieutenant  Russell's  instructions. 

"  H.  M.  S.  Stinger, 

"Hong-Kong,  23  July, 

"  MY  DEAR  WIPE, 

"  Your  two  last  letters  were  written  by  a  strange  hand,  please  tell  me  who 
it  is.  I  was  greatly  delighted  to  hear  from  you,  and  to  know  you  are  well  and  hearty, 
and  the  baby  well — he  must  cheer  you  a  good  deal.  I  have  had  all  manner  of  fullish 
thoughts  about  you,  thinking  you  was  dead,  but  the  doctor,  who  is  a  perfect  samaryatan, 
lias  given  me  a  lot  of  stuff,  which  has  taken  away  all  my  visions.  Now,  I  have  a  wish. 
I  want  you  to  write  me  upon  getting  this,  and  say  that  on  the  16th  of  August  you 
"were  well  and  hearty,  and  it  will  give  me  great  joy,  as  I  had  a  foolish  idea  on  that 
point.  I  have  also  a  wish  to  know  how  you  look.  Can't  you  send  me  a  sun  picture  ? 
I'd  give  anything  for  a  sun  picture  of  you.  i  Lieutenant  Russell  takes  them,  and  has 


It) 2  BLUE  JACKETS  ;  OR,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

promised  me  one  for  you.  I  am  very  comfortable  in  this  ship,  the  captain  is  a  perfect 
gentleman.  If  all  -was  like  him  the  service  would  be  perfect  heaven  for  sailors.  I 
was  truly  sorry  to  hear  of  the  death  of  your  old  missis.  I  hope  she  is  now  with  him  in 
heaven  who  was  so  good  on  earth.  Almost  his  last  words  was  '  Florence,'  and  he  died 
a  thinking  of  her.  Our  first  lieutenant  is  like  poor  Lieutenant  Ford  in  many  things, 
but  he  is  more  grander  in  his  words ;  he  is  wonderful  clever,  and  it's  a  pleasure  to  hear 
him  lecture.  He  teaches  us  to  read  and  write,  and  is  more  like  a  father  than  anything 
else.  He  is  the  best-dispositioned  officer  I  ev^"  saw,  and  would  make  a  first-class 
captain.  Our  captain  is  noble  in  everything,  A  .•.,  and  as  brave  as  a  lion.  I  am  his 
coxswain  now  for  good.  In  my  last  letter  I  told  you  all  about  Jerry  Thompson ;  he  is 
now  a  petty  officer,  and  as  good  a  fellow  as  ever,  although  he  is  a  little  touched  in  his 
head  about  a  Chinee  girl,  named  Hay-toy,  that  was  killed  for  his  sake.  I  think  he  was 
very  fond  of  her.  He  is  a  reg'lar  chum  of  mine,  and  we  messes  together.  Mr.  Cravan 
has  left  the  ship  promoted  ;  he  was  nobody  after  our  old  tyrant  and  that  wretch  Crushe 
had  left,  as  he  daren't  show  his  feelings  afore  our  present  captain  ;  he  went  off  without 
a  sign  of  a  cheer  from  any  of  us,  and  nobody  missed  him.  We  are  going  to  Jaypan, 
and  I  hope  afterwards,  when  we  have  took  Canton,  to  send  you  word  we  are  coming 
home.  I  think  with  what  we  have  now,  and  my  prize  money  and  pay,  we  shall  be  able 
to  live  very  comfortable.  When  you  goes  into  Deal  call  at  Mr.  Masposlis,  and 
say  his  son  is  in  our  ship,  and  is  a  very  nice  young  man  ;  he  is  our  captain's  servant,  and 
we  now  and  then  has  a  chat  about  his  father.  I  must  now  conclude,  with  love  to 
father  and  mother,  and  a  hundred  kisses  for  dear  little  Tom,  and  my  undying  love  for 
you,  dear  Polly. 

"  I  am  your  affectionate  husband, 

"THOMAS  CLARE." 
"  Address  Hong-Kong  or  elsewhere,  as  usual." 

Before  the  memorable  day  upon  which  he  was  carried  off  by  the  Tartars  Thompson 
had  given  a  parcel,  containing  a  crape  shawl  and  several  articles  of  loot,  into  the  boat- 
swain's care,  with  instructions  to  deliver  the  same  to  Mary  Ann  if  any  accident 
occurred  to  him ;  so  when  Jerry's  clothes  and  other  effects  were  sold  before  the  mast, 
the  things  were  kept  back  by  the  boatswain.  Upon  Thompson  falling  out  with  Mr. 
Shever  the  latter  sent  him  the  parcel,  the  existence  of  which  was  forgotten  by  the 
sailor  ;  and  as  Jerry,  like  most  of  his  class,  never  kept  anything  long,  he  made  up  his 
mind  to  send  it  home  to  Mrs.  Clare,  by  the  first  man  invalided. 

"  She'll  find  it  a  helligant  thing  for  weddings  or  the  circus,"  he  observed  to  his 
friend. 

"  She  don't  go  to  none,  leastways,  she  never  says  anything  about  it ;  besides,  keep 
it  yourself,  or  send  it  to  Mary  Ann." 

"What  for?  I'm  going  to  try  if  Mary  Ann  has  forgotten  me,  like  you  all  did." 
'Jerry  always  felt  a  little  tender  upon  that  point1).  "  You're  my  chum.  Missis  C.  is  a 
lady  I  think  a  deal  about.  Young  Tom  is  my  newy,  although  a  unlawful  one  ,  and 
puttin'  that  altogether,  I'm  determined  to  send  her  the  shawl,  or  to  chuck  it  over- 
heard." 

The  next  man  invalided  proved  to  be  Private  Silas  Bowler,  Royal  Marine  Light 
Infantry,  who,  after  receiving  a  liberal  present,  took  charge  of  the  shawl ;  and  having 
successfully  evaded  the  lynx-eyed  custom-house  officials,  upon  his  arrival  at  Ports- 
mouth proceeded  to  deliver  it,  not  according  to  his  agreement,  but  to  his  own  wife, 
who  wore  it  at  Utah  chapel,  and  quoted  the  gift  to  her  brothers  and  sisters  in  faith,  as 
a  proof  of  good  Silas's  generosity.  The  worthy  marine  ultimately  emigrated  to  Salt 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."     163 

Lkae,  -where  he  became  a  deacon,  and,  for  aught  we  know  to  the  contrary,  one  of 
Brigham  Young's  most  efficient  assistants.  It  is  probable  that  by  this  time  the  crape 
shawl  has  changed  owners  several  times. 

The  Stinger  proceeded  towards  Japan,  and  in  due  time  came  to  anchor  in  the  har- 
bour of  Chickodadi,  where  the  hospitable  inhabitants  received  them  with  open  arms, 
the  officers  and  men  taking  a  cruise  on  shore,  finding  entertainment  in  all  the  free 
exhibitions  then  running  in  the  place,  including  the  public  bath-rooms,  where  young 
and  old,  bachelors  and  spinsters,  men  and  "women,  maids,  wives,  children  and  widows, 
together  disported  themselves  in  a  most  primitive  manner,  much  to  the  astonishment 
of  the  gaping  blue-jackets,  who  swarmed  round  those  institutions  and  made  the  most 
amusing  remarks. 

"  Well,  I  am  bio  wed !  "  observed  an  old  quarter-master.  "  If  these  here  Jappank- 
nees  ain't  a  rum  set  of  fellers.  Them  ere  bath  houses  beats  me  ;  and  my  opinion  is, 
they  are  either  as  hinnocent  ae  babbies  or  a  jolly  deal  ahead  of  us  in  cheek.  Vy,  I 
ain't  been  as  near  blushin'  as  I  was  to-day  since  I  was  a  little  kid." 

No  doubt  the  old  fellow's  delicate  nerves  were  immensely  shocked  by  the  custom  of 
the  country,  he  being  one  of  those  weather-beaten  patriarchs  whom  no  one  but  a  very- 
far-in-landsman  would  imagine  possessed  of  any  greater  sensibility  than  a  mile- 
stone. 

After  having  spent  a  very  pleasant  time  in  Chickodadi,  the  Stinger  proceeded  to 
Hiko-saki,  where  they  fell  in  with  H.M.S.  Blowfly,  the  commander  of  which  being 
Woodward's  senior,  exercised  them  at  all  the  evolutions  known  in  the  service,  from 
shifting  topsails  to  changing  cooks  of  messes  by  signal,  until  Woodward  began  to  wish 
his  worth  senior  elsewhere.  However,  the  cholera*breaking  out  in  the  ships,  they 
•were  cor  elled  to  put  to  sea,  where  they  lost  one  pest,  but  had  a  terrible  struggle 
against  another. 

It  was  a  sore  trial  for  them  ;  and  men  who  had  laughed  at  and  risked  death  in  a 
hundred  forms  were  taken  ill,  and  carried  off  before  their  shipmates  knew  they  were 
down.  Some,  who  had  for  many  years  been  in  tho  habit  of  drinking  any  ardent  spirit 
which  came  within  their  reach,  now,  through  fear  of  the  terrible  disease,  suddenly  re- 
nounced liquor,  and  swore,  if  spared,  to  lead  sober  lives  in  future,  but  they  were  cut 
off  as  quickly  as  the  drunkards.  For  seventeen  days  the  ship  was  like  a  hospital,  and 
ere  the  epidemic  had  run  its  course  the  bodies  of  thirty-five  men  and  boys,  including 
the  assistant  surgeon  and  third  engineer,  were  consigned  to  the  deep.  There  was  no 
escape,  and  many  men,  who  might  have  recovered  on  shore,  upon  seeing  their  ship- 
mates die  around  them  gave  up  all  hope  for  themselves,  and  sucoumbed  to  the  disease 
through  fear. 

The  little  doctor  did  wonders,  working  day  and  night,  until  he  was  completely 
knocked  up ;  then  Captain  Woodward  took  his  place  to  the  best  of  his  ability,  and  set  a 
noble  example  to  all  in  the  ship.  Although  he  keenly  felt  the  loss  of  every  one  of  his 
officers  and  crew,  he  preserved  a  calm  demeanour  ;  and  had  not  his  every  action  shown 
how  fully  he  understood  and  sympathized  with  the  sufferers,  he  might  have  been  re- 
garded as  indifferent  to  the  awful  ravages  that  death  was  making  around  him.  Tom 
Clare  und  Thompson  were  his  right-hand  men,  and  bravely  they  performed  their  work, 
taking  watch  and  watch  in  the  sick  bay,  and  attending  the  sick  and  dying  with  unre- 
mitting zeal.  Clare,  calm  and  collected,  moved  about  like  a  good  spirit,  and  many  a 
poor  fellow  gave  his  last  charge  to  him,  knowing  that,  if  Tom  survived,  his  wishes 
would  be  respected, — while  Thompson,  chaffing  the  would-be  sick  out  of  their  whims, 
was  indefatigable  in  his  attentions  to  those  who  were  ill,  and  was  the  life  and  soul  of 
the  convalescents ;  for,  in  spite  of  their  sad  condition,  Jerry's  spirits  rose  while  others' 


164  BLUE  JACKETS  ;     OK,   THE   ADVENTURES    OF 

sank,  and  he  would  often,  by  some  droll  remark,  be  of  more  service  in  helping  their 
recovery  than  all  the  medical  comforts  freely  issued  to  them. 

It  must  not  be  imagined  that  during  such  a  time  there  is  no  joking  and  fun  on 
board,  as  after  the  first  shock  those  who  are  well,  or  recovering,  often  indulge  in  a  dis- 
play of  merriment  that  to  an  observer  might  savour  of  levity,  but  which  is  merely 
assumed  to  prevent  their  dwelling  upon  the  melancholy  scenes  taking  place  around, 
them.  Sailors  are  very  mercurial  fellows,  and  Jack  has  often  told  yarns  and  sung  songs- 
in  the  fore  part  of  the  ship  while  his  messmates  were  writhing  in  their  last  agony  in 
the  sick  bay  abaft. 

Thompson  felt  the  loss  of  his  shipmates  very  keenly ;  and,  as  he  afterwards- 
expressed  it,  never  had  harder  work  than  when  he  pretended  to  be  merry  upon  that 
occasion,  and,  no  doubt,  he  did  much  towards  keeping  many  of  the  men  who  were 
well  from  thinking  of  their  awful  positioa. 

Having  run  northward  until  the  disease  began  to  decrease,  Captain  Woodward 
determined  to  visit  one  of  the  uninhabited  islands  off  the  coast  of  Tartary,  and  one 
evening  came  to  anchor  in  a  little  bay  where  he  determined  to  land  his  men  and  put 
them  under  canvas,  knowing  he  could  do  so  there  with  safety. 

Some  misunderstanding  having  occurred  upon  letting  go  the  anchor,  the  commander 
sent  forward  to  inform  the  boatswain  that  he  wished  to  speak  to  him  when  the  yards 
were  squared,  but  the  quartermaster  who  bore  the  message  returned  with  the  informa- 
tion that  the  boatswain  had  just  been  seized,  and  was  gone  down  below.  As  soon  as- 
circumstances  permitted,  "Woodward  left  the  deck  and  proceeded  to  the  warrant- 
officer's  cabin,  where  he  found  Mr.  Shever  coiled  up  and  evidently  suffering  great  agony. 
Having  administered  the  usual  remedy,  he  left  him  in  charge  of  Thompson  and  Clare,, 
who  were  chafing  his  limbs  with  warm  turpentine,  that  being  one  of  the  methods  then, 
prescribed  in  such  cases.  Shever  endured  great  torture  until  midnight,  when,  just  as 
the  sentry  struck  eight  bells,  he  suddenly  started  np,  seized  his  beloved  pipe,  which  he 
insisted  should  not  be  taken  from  his  neck,  placed  it  to  his  lips,  blew  a  loud  blast,  and, 
shrieking,  "  Hands,  witness  punishment,"  writhed  in  pain  for  a  few  moments,  than 
became  rigid  and  expired. 

Thompson  brushed  away  a  tear  as  he  gazed  upon  the  distorted  countenance  of  his- 
former  friend,  then  covered  the  still  form  with  a  sheet,  observing  as  he  did  so,  "  Ah, 
poor  Mr.  Shever,  you'd  a  good  heart  afore  that  devil  Crushe  got  hold  of  you,"  when  he 
became  aware  that  Clare  was  in  the  cabin ;  and  turning  round,  saw  the  latter  with  his 
face  pale  and  scared,  moving  his  lips,  as  if  praying  for  the  man  who  had  during  life 
been  his  enemy  ;  noticing  which  Jerry  exclaimed,  "  Tom,  you  are  a  good  feller  to  pray 
for  him  wot  swore  agin  you  and  injured  you.  I  couldn't  do  it." 

Clare  looked  at  his  friend  for  a  moment,  then  replied  in  a  voice  broken  with  emotion, 
"  I'm  only  a  mortal  man,  Jerry,  and  him  wot  is  under  that  has  been  my  enemy  ;  but  L 
can't  stand  by  his  body  and  say  I'm  glad  to  see  him  a-lying  there.  I  forgive  him  all  he 
has  done  to  me,  and  hope  he  will  be  forgiven  by  Him  who  knows  more  about  his  heart 
than  we  does.  Poor  woman  !  I  heartily  pity  his  wife." 

"  So  do  I,  Tom.  I  always  have  done  that.  But  what  makes  you  so  white  and  hag- 
gard, Tom  ?  " 

Clare  sunk  into  a  chair,  and'  covering  his  face  with  his  hands,  sobbed  like  a  child. 

"  Tom,  Tom,  don't  give  way.  You,  of  all  others,  who  is  braver  than  any  of  jis,  you. 
ain't  afraid  now,  are  you  ?  " 

Clare  took  his  hands  away,  and  mastering  his  emotion,  assisted  his  friend  to  prepare 
the  body  for  interment ;  but  before  the  few  offices  were  performed  he  was  obliged 
to  retire,  evidently  totally  unmanned  from  some  cause  which  he  could  not  sufficiently 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      165 

master  hia  feelings  to  explain.  However,  after  a  time  he  became  more  calm,  when  he 
sought  for  Thompson  and  told  him  the  reason  of  his  agitation. 

"  Jerry,  don't  laugh  at  me,  or  think  lightly  of  what  I  tell  you." 

"  Did  ever  I  laugh  at  a  real  sorrer  in  all  my  born  days  ?  Did  ever  you  see  me  make 
fun  of  trouble  in  others,  Tom  ?  " 

Clare  shook  his  head. 

"  Then,  old  mate,  tell  me  your  trouble,  and  if  it's  in  my  power  I'll  help  you  through 
•with  my  best  advice." 

"  I've  just  seen  poor  Polly.  She's  dead,  Jerry ;  she  ain't  alive.  It's  the  16th  of 
August,  and  she's  been  dead  a  year.  0  merciful  God,  I  think  I  shall  go  mad  ! " 

"  Come,  my  poor  old  chap,  you're  upset  with  this  sad  work ,  you  mustn't  worrit. 
Why,  gracious  goodness,  ain't  she  a-writ  to  you  a  dozen  times,  a-tellin'  you  about  the 
babby,  little  Tom  ?  and  ain't  I  sent  her  a  crape  shawl  by  that  feller  Bowler  ?  and  ain't 
•we  soon  a-goin  home  to  see  her,  hey,  old  chap  ?  " 

"  Jerry,  tliere  she  is  again,"  said  the  unfortunate  fellow,  pointing  to  the  doorway. 
•"  There  she  is.  I'm  coming  Polly  !  I'm — " 

Thompson  seized  his  friend  and  secured  him  from  jumping  overboard,  as  he  might 
probably  have  done,  and  for  three  days  watched  by  his  bedside,  Clare  being  down  with 
•a  raging  fever ;  but  he  got  through,  and  was  out  of  danger  before  the  crew  re-em- 
barked. 

Jerry  did  not  go  on  shore  with  the  others,  but  devoted  himself  entirely  to  his  friend 
and  it  was  no  doubt  partly  owing  to  his  untiring  care  that  Clare  recovered.  He,  how- 
ever, never  reverted  to  the  hallucination,  which  appeared  to  have  passed  away,  although 
he  often  spoke  to  his  nurse  about  his  wife  and  child. 

Mr.  Shever  was,  with  others,  buried  upon  the  lonely  island ;  and  before  the  Stinger 
left,  the  ship's  painter  prepared  a  tablet  bearing  the  following  inscription,  which  was 
nailed  against  a  tree  growing  near  the  graves. 

Near  here  line  the  body  of 

Mr.  Henry  Shever, 
Liite  Boatswain  in  H.M.  Navy, 

Aged  38  years, 
who  died  of  cholera  off  this  island  on 

16th  August,  185—, 

while  serving  on  board 

H.M.S.  Stinger, 

24  guns. 
Commander,  Paul  Woodward,  R.N. 

Three  fathoms  to  the  left  of  his  grave  lie  the 
bodies  of  the  following,  late  crew  of  H.  M.  S.  Stinger. 
James  Shaw,  A.  B.,  aged  32  years. 
Thomas  Simpson,  A.  B.,  aged  27  years, 
Henry  Rowe,  A.  B.,  aged  29  years. 
Samuel  Tyron,  O.  S.,  aged  20  years. 
James  Dove,  Boy  of  1st  Class,  aged  17  years. 

,  All  these  seamen  died  of  the  fatal  effects  of  cholera 

while  camped  on  shore  near  the  beach  below,  much 
regretted  by  their  surviving  shipmates,  who 

erected  this  monument. 
WM.  BROWN,  PAINTER. 


166  BLUE   JACKETS  J    OR,    THE    ADVENTURES    OF 

When  they  had  been  under  canvas  a  few  weeks  the  cholera  disappeared,  and 
Captain  Woodward  quitted  the  island,  and  ran  down  to  Shanghae,  where  he  received 
orders  to  proceed  at  once  to  Hong-Kong,  which  he  reached  after  a  quick  passage,  and 
there  found,  thanks  to  his  immense  popularity,  no  difficulty  in  filling  up  the  vacancies 
in  his  crew. 

Clare,  who  had  by  this  time  recovered,  was  offered  the  post  of  boatswain,  but  de- 
clined, saying  he  could  not  fill  the  rate.  The  commander  then  strongly  recommended 
Thompson  for  the  appointment,  whereupon  the  admiral  directed  him  to  be  made  acting 
warrant-officer  until  he  was  confirmed  by  the  admiralty,  and  within  a  month  after  Mr. 
Shever's  death  Jerry,  who  was  thoroughly  competent,  piped,  and  bellowed  orders  as 
naturally  as  though  he  had  always  owned  the  silver  call  and  chain. 

Mrs.  Shever  was  duly  notified  of  her  husband's  decease,  and  received  the  balance 
of  his  pay,  and  a  pension  from  the  government,  and  we  must  say,  that  considering  the 
nature  of  her  bereavement,  she  bore  up  remarkably  well.  "  He  were  a  good  man  for 
many  things,"  she  observed,  "  but  a  woman  might  as  well  be  a  widder  as  to  have  her 
husband  at  sea  all  the  time,"  so  after  wearing  very  deep  mourning  for  six  months,  the 
boatswain's  relict  moderated  her  grief  and  crape  at  the  same  time,  and  came  out  in 
such  killing  costume,  that  three  ardent  admirers  offered  her  their  hands  and  hearts 
within  as  many  weeks  of  the  change.  Strange  to  say,  she  refused  them,  and  informed 
the  world  about  her  that  it  would  have  to  be  a  remarkably  bright  fellow  who  would  be 
taken  into  Mr.  Shever's  place  in  her  heart.  She.  held  undoubted  sway  as  belle  of 
Crumpton  Street,  until  one  unlucky  day,  the  widow  of  a  "  retired  dustman  "  took 
lodgings  in  the  opposite  house,  and,  as  Mrs.  Shever  expressed  it,  laid  herself  out  to 
angle  for  her  lovers.  Much  to  the  disgust  of  the  late  boatswain's  widow,  the  new  ar- 
rival managed  to  captivate  a  young  hairdresser,  who  finding  the  dustman's  widow  had 
more  money  than  his  first  flame,  not  only  out  the  acquaintance  of  the  latter,  but  irri- 
tated her  by  sitting  at  her  rival's  parlour  window  and  playing  upon  a  concertina  such 
airs  as  "  All's  Well,"  "  The  Girl  I  left  behind  me,"  and  several  others  strongly  sugges- 
tive of  her  forlorn  state. 

It  was  very  aggravating  to  her  when  she  saw  this,  and  heard  what  she  denominated 
his  "  setarical "  tunes,  but  the  boatswain's  widow  was  revenged.  The  perfidious  ones 
billed  and  cooed  for  a  few  months,  then  got  married,  went  to  live  in  a  fashionable 
street,  lost  money,  fell  out,  she  scolded,  he  beat  her  and  took  to  drink,  she  drove  the 
concern,  he  eloped  with  the  young  girl  who  sold  cosmetics  in  the  front  shop,  she  bolted 
with  the  foreman  hairdresser  by  the  back  door — and — the  concern  was  sold  out,  and 
turned  into  a  dressmaking  establishment,  over  the  door  of  which  was  this  name  in 
letters  of  gold : 

MRS.  SHEVER, 

Dressmaker. 
Ladies  own  materials  made  up. 

It  was  a  better  situation  than  her  former  one,  and  the  business  prospered  in  it ;  but, 
poor  thing,  she  was  lonely,  and  was  on  the  point  of  despairing,  when  one  morning  she 
heard  the  wonderful  news  of  Jerry's  return  to  his  ship,  and  from  that  moment  was  an 
altered  woman.  Mary  Ann  was  duly  informed  of  the  state  of  affairs,  and  congratulated 
her  sister  upon  the  same. 

"  He  was  always  fond  of  you,  you  know,  'Melia," 

"  Me  ?  Mr.  Thompson  fond  of  me  ?  Oh  lor,  Mary  Ann,  how  silly  you  do  talk. 
Why,  I  don't  know  if  I  would  accept  him  if  he  was  to  offer  this  moment." 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      167 

"  Oh  nonsense,  'Melia.  He  ain't  here.  You  knows  that,  or  you'd  not  go  on  in  that 
way." 

"  What  way  ?  " 

"  Saying  you  don't  love  him." 

"  Gracious,  Mary  Ann,  can't  I  speak  of  a  gentleman  of  my  acquaintance  without 
you  being  jealous  of  me,  and  flying  at  me  like  that  ?  "  Here  Mrs.  Shever  burst  into 
tears.  "  You  know  you've  a  sneaking  regard  for  him,  and  don't  want  to  see  him  marry 
me." 

"  However  you  can  say  that  of  me,  Mrs.  Shever,  I  can't  think.  I'm  the  lawful  wife 
of  Mr.  Joseph  Jenkins,  and  I  don't  cast  no  sheep's  eyes  at  old  lovers,  who  don't  think 
much  of  one,  as  they  let  them  as  loved  them  marry,  and  never  wrote  nobody  until  it  was 
too  late,"  cried  the  girl,  also  shedding  tears,  whether  of  regret  or  of  anger  we  know 
not. 

Now,  the  boatswain's  widow  was  a  good-hearted  woman,  and  loved  her  sister  very 
much ;  so  upon  seeing  her  weep  she  embraced  her,  and  declared  that  she  was  a  brute  to 
make  any  one  cry  who  had  been  so  good  to  her  as  her  owai  sister  Mary  Ann.  After 
which  they  cried  in  concert,  and  then  became  more  loving  than  ever. 

"  Then  you  mean  to  marry  Mr.  Thompson,  'Melia  ?  " 

Mrs.  Shever  blushed,  looked  confused,  hesitated,  stammered  and  laughed,  but  at 
last  confessed  to  her  sister  that  it  wouldn't  be  her  fault  if  she  did  not  hook  Mr.  Thomp- 
son as  soon  as  he  landed. 

"  But  you'll  have  to  wait  ever  so  long,  dear.     The  ship  ain't  ordered  home  yet." 

"  "Wait !  Who  wouldn't  wait  for  such  a  man  as  that  ?  Why,  I'd  wait  for  ten 
years." 

"  You'd  be  grey  before  then,  'Melia  dear,  wouldn't  you  ?  "  exclaimed  Mary  Ann 
with  a  touch  of  mischief ;  "  and  perhaps  Mr.  Thompson  wouldn't  have  you.  Besides, 
maybe  he  has  fallen  in  with  one  of  them  black  gals  in  Chinee,  and  won't  come  back  at 
all.  I  don't  want  to  dishearten  you,  but  you  mustn't  be  too  sure." 

"  Fiddle.  He  ain't  married  no  Chinee  gal, — he's  a  deal  too  smart  for  that ;  and  if 
I'm  grey  when  he  comes  back,  I'll  dye." 

"  Hadn't  you  better  write  him  and  say  you're  well  ?  " 

"  Oh  dear  me,  no.  Why,  no  lady  ever  makes  the  first  advances.  Gracious  me  ! 
what  would  people  think  if  they  heered  I  had  wrote  to  a  gentleman  who  were  not  my 
intended  ?  " 

"  Well,"  observed  her  sister  as  she  tied  her  bonnet  strings  preparatory  to  leaving  the 
house,  "'Melia  dear,  I  wish  you  every  success,  but  my  opinion  is  that  Jerry  Thompson 
has  been  and  splashed  his  affections  somewhere  else,  and  you'd  better  not  wait  for  him. 
I  didn't,  and  I'm  thankful  for  it. 

"  And  so  am  I,  dear — heartily !  "  added  Mrs.  Shever  as  the  buxom  form  of  Mary  Ann 
vanished  through  the  doorway.  "  Very  heartily  indeed,  I  may  say,  as  my  chances 
would  have  been  mighty  small  had  you  not  been  disposed  of." 


168  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVENTUEES  OF 


CHAPTER 

THE  ship  remained  at  Hong-Kong  for  a  few  weeks,  during  which  time  Mr.  Thompson, 
the  acting  boatswain,  had  plenty  of  opportunity  to  go  on  shore ;  but  with  his  promotion 
1  all  that  beautiful  simplicity  of  impudence,  for  which  he  was,  when  a  seaman,  distin- 
guished, vanished,  and  although  he  knew  full  well  the  Mackays  expected  him  to  call 
upon  them,  it  was  not  until  he  received  the  following  invite  that  he  summoned  enough 
courage  to  face  his  good  friends. 

"  Chy-loon  Vitta. 
"  DEAR  MR.  THOMPSON, 

".We  have  expected  you  would  call  upon  us  ever  since  your  ship  has  been 
in  harbour.  As  we  know  you  would  prefer  not  meeting  strangers,  we  beg  you  will 
dine  with  us  alone  on  Friday  at  8  o'clock. 

"  Ever  your  sincere  friend, 

"  WALTER  MACKAY." 

To  which  Jerry  replied, 

"H.M.  S.  Stinger. 
"MY  DEAR  FRIENDS, 
"  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,  and  will  be  there  punctual. 

"  Your  obedient  friend, 

"  J.  THOMPSON. 
"  P.  S.     I  hope  none  of  the  officers  will  drop  in." 

« 
Having  dispatched  the  foregoing,  the  acting  boatswain  sought  the  advice  of  a 

friendly  midshipman  as  to  costume  and  deportment,  and  upon  the  appointed  evening 
proceeded  to  make  the  call,  about  which  he  felt  very  nervous.  When  he  arrived  at  the 
place  he  was  met  by  Mr.  Mackay,  who  was  waiting  in  the  verandah  to  welcome  him. 
Jerry  seated  himself  in  a  rocking-chair,  but  looked  so  uncomfortable,  that  his  friend 
inquired  if  he  were  unwell.  Upon  which  Thompson  got  up,  and  beckoning  his  host 
into  a  small  reception-room,  gravely  asked  him  if  he  thought  he  would  do. 

"  My  dear  fellow,  what  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Well,  am  I  all  square  ?     Rigging  all  right  ?  " 

Mr.  Mackay  could  scarcely  preserve  the  gravity  of  his  countenance,  but  after  a  short 
pause  he  replied, 

"  Why,  you  look .  very  nice  indeed,  Thompson.  What  makes  you  ask  me  such  a 
question  ?  " 

"  Why,"  said  the  acting  boatswain  in  a  whisper,  and  getting  more  mysterious  than 
erer,  "  he  said  I  warn't  all  square,  and  I  don't  want  to  pay  Miss  Moore  such  a  ill  com- 
pliment as  to  come  to  dine  with  you  and  not  be  all  right,  you  know." 

"  Oh,  you're  splendid.     Why,  you  look  as  handsome  as  a  post-captain." 

Thus  assured,  Jerry  became  more  easy  in  his  manner,  but  he  was  terribly  put  out 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      169 

•when,  upon  Mrs.  Mackay  making  her  appearance,  he  found  her  accompanied  by  a  dark- 
eyed  girl,  who  was  just  as  affable  towards  him  as  his  hostess ;  and  when  the  dinner- 
gong  sounded  he  actually  started,  thinking  he  would  have  to  escort  the  young  lady  into 
the  dining-room ;  but  to  his  reSef  Mrs.  Mackay  held  out  her  arm,  which  the  sailor 
took,  and  thus  reversing  the  order  of  things,  walked  solemnly  from  the  apartment. 

The  dinner  passed  off  without  any  mishap,  as  Thompson  had,  seen  enough  life  to 
keep  him  all  right  at  table,  while  his  natural  gallantry  and  devotion  to  the  fair  sex 
caused  him  to  show  all  proper  attention  to  the  dark-eyed  young  lady  seated  by  his  side. 
When  the  ladies  had  withdrawn,  his  kind  host  lit  a  cigar,  having  in  vain  tried  to 
induce  his  guest  to  do  the  same,  and  after  a  little  chat  asked  him  what  he  thought  of 
the  young  lady. 

"  She's  a  real  fine  lady,  but  I'm  afraid  of  her." 

"  Nonsense,  Thompson.     Why  ?  " 

"  Well,  she's  got  a  sort  of  a  half-laughing  sort  of  way,  as  much  as  to  say  she  thinks 
I'm  a  poor  sort  of  a  imitation  of  a  reg'ler  warrant-officer,  and  she  sees  through. 
it." 

"  Chut,  chut ;  let  us  join  the  ladies." 

Jerry  entered  the  drawing-room  upon  tip-toe,  as  the  dark-eyed  one  was  playing  the 
piano,  and  having  taken  his  seat  on  the  chair  furthest  from  the  instrument,  fixed  hia 
eyes  upon  her,  and  watched  the  motion  of  her  fingers  in  a  curiously  anxious  manner. 
When  she  had  finished  she  turned  to  him  and  exclaimed,  "  Can  you  sing,  Mr.  Thomp- 
son ?" 

"  Me,  miss  ?  " 

"  Surely  you  can.     Don't  you  know  one  song?  " 

"  No,  miss.     Not  what  you'd  call  songs." 

"  Not  a  sea-song  ?  " 

"Well,  I  know  'The  Gal  I  left  behind  me,'  and  'Hearts  of  Oak,'  and  'Tom 
Bowline,'  and — " 

"  Oh,  do  sing  '  Tom  Bowline,'  Mr.  Thompson." 

After  much  persuasion  Jerry  got  over  his  bashfulness  :  then,  in  a  full  mellow  voice, 
sang  that  fine  old  sea-song,  and  ere  the  last  verse  was  completed  he  heard  the  ladies 
sobbing  as  if  their  hearts  would  break.  When  he  had  finished,  the  younger  lady  wiped 
her  eyes,  and  looked  at  him  with  the  greatest  admiration.  He  was  no  longer  the  bash- 
ful-awkward sailor,  but  a  man  of  genuine  tenderness  of  heart,  and  she  began  fully  to 
understand  how  it  was  that  her  friends  thought  so  highly  of  him.  As  he  sang  his 
voice  seemed  filled  with  pity  for  some  lost  shipmate,  and  it  would  have  been  an  un- 
sympathetic ear  upon  which  such  a  song  fell  without  calling  forth  some  pitying 
response ;  and  the  young  lady,  though  not  intending  to  do  so,  looked  at  the  acting 
boatswain  in  such  a  manner,  that  a  much  less  susceptible  person  would  have  easily 
understood  her  meaning. 

Jerry  began  to  feel  uncomfortable.  I  wish  she  wouldn't  stare  at  me  so,  he  thought. 
I'll  ask  her  to  sing. 

"  Please,  miss,  as  it's  my  call,  may  I  be  so  bold  as  to  ask  you  to  sing  ?  " 

"  What  song  would  you  like,  Mr.  Thompson  ?  I  am  almost  ashamed  to  sing  after 
you." 

"  Anything,  miss ;  they  are  all  pretty." 

Not  without  a  touch  of  mischief  in  her  voice,  the  dark-eyed  one  sang  "  Love  not." 
Now,  had  she  wished  to  captivate  the  sailor  she  could  not  have  chosen  a  more  inap- 
propriate song.  When  she  commenced  Thompson  was  all  attention,  but  at  the 

words 

"  Love  fling-s  a  halo  round  the  fair  one's  head," 


170  BLUE   JACKETS  ;    OK,    THE   ADVENTURES    OF 

the  poor  fellow  got  up,  and  walked  into  the  verandah,  where  he  sobbed  like  a  child. 
A-tae,  the  truest  love  in  the  world,  the  heart  which  once  so  fondly  beat  for  him,  now  stilled 
in  death — the  beautiful  lips  which,  when  parted  with  a  smile  for  him,  seemed  like  an 
angel's ;  the  stars  which  shone  down  upon  him  then,  were  shining  upon  her  silent  grave, 
and  he  should  never  see  her  again.  All  this  flashed  across  his  mind,  and,  sailor  as  he 
was,  he  wept.  However,  after  a  few  moments  he  recovered,  and  crept  quietly  into  the 
room,  his  friends  pretending  not  to  have  noticed  his  absence.  Mrs.  Mackay  sang  several 
songs,  and  played  some  animated  airs  upon  the  piano,  which,  with  a  little  brandy 
pawnee,  somewhat  enlivened  the  sailor.  About  eleven  o'clock  the  dark-eyed  one  went 
home,  and  his  hostess  wishing  to  have  a  little  conversation  with  him,  begged  he  would 
not  hurry  his  departure,  as  they  did  not  generally  retire  until  a  late  hour. 

The  young  lady  gone,  Thompson  threw  off  his  bashfulness,  and  was  once  more  the 
merry  fellow  of  old,  but  he  cautiously  avoided  expressing  any  opinion  about  the  dark- 
eyed  visitor. 

"  Do  you  know  who  she  is,  Mr.  Thompson  ?  " 

"  No,  miss." 

"  She  is  our  new  governess  of  the  native  girls'  school ;  and,  I  think,  would  make  you 
an  excellent  wife." 

"Me,  miss  ?     Me  marry?     No,  no.     I'll  keep  single.     I  ain't  a  marrying  man." 

"  But  she  was  very  much  interested  with  your  song,  and  I  noticed  you  were  with 
hers.  Take  care,  Mr.  Thompson  ;  take  care." 

"  Bless  your  heart,  miss,  you  don't  know  human  nature  as  I  do.  Why,  if  every 
young  woman  that  I  have  sung  that  song  to,  and  who  has  cried  over  it,  had  been 
sentimentyle  over  me,  I  should  have  been  prosecuted  for  breach  of  promise  years  ago. 
It's  only  for  a  moment — they  feels  sorry  for  poor  Tom  Bowline.  He's  gone  aloft,  they 
thinks,  and  his  widder  is  a-crying  about  him — probable  his  half-pay  note,  stopped,  and 
no  pension,  and  her  little  children  going  into  the  werkus.  But  it's  soon  all  over,  and 
then  they  are  ready  for  another  song  of  a  similar  sentimentyle  specee,  at  which  they 
cries,  just  as  they  would  smile  at  a  comic  song,  bless  their  little  hearts  all  on  'em, 
miss." 

"  Thompson,  you  only  talk  like  tiiat  to  deceive  me  as  to  the  real  state  of  your  feel- 
ings. You  don't  mean  what  you  say," 

"  Indeed,  miss,  but  I  does.  I've  a  lonely  widowed  mother  at  home,  and  I  intend 
devoting  the  remainder  of  a  rather  precarious  existence  to  her.  I  am  going  to  die  a 
bachelor,  and  I  think  it's  just  as  well  for  any  one  in  my  situation." 

Mrs.  Mackay  laughed,  and  when  she  bade  him  good-bye,  said,  "  "We  hear  the  Stinger 
is  going  home  as  soon  as  Canton  is  taken.  You  will  let  us  know  when  your  happy 
event  takes  place,  will  you  not,  and  send  us  a  description  of  the  bride  ?  " 

Jerry  shook  his  head  and  replied  in  a  mournful  sort  of  way,  "  Miss,  if  ever  you 
hears  of  such  a  melancholy  episode,  you  may  rest  assured  that  I  am  somebody's  victim, 
not  a  convict  by  my  own  free  will." 

A  few  days  after  the  foregoing  occurrence,  the  Stinger  was  despatched  to  the  Canton 
River,  where  Captain  Woodward  was  directed  to  take  possession  of  a  small  fortified 
island  called  Yin-sin,  situated  about  ten  miles  below  the  Barriers ;  and,  to  hold  himself 
in  readiness  to  receive,  pay  for,  and  take  care  of  all  live  stock  which  could  be  collected 
by  a  party  of  contractors,  who  had  volunteered  to  obtain  any  quantity  of  cattle  the 
government  reqiiired,  provided  the  authorities  would  assist  them,  and  place  a  war-ship 
off  Yin-sin  Fort,  to  which  they  could  retreat  when  pursued  by  the  Imperial  row  boats. 
As  the  contractors  could  not  speak  a  word  of  English,  Hoo-kee,  the  old  pilot,  was  sent 
on  board  to  act  as  interpreter. 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    "  THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE."  171 

Having  cleared  out  and  whitewashed  the  fort,  the  ship's  company  were  employed  in 
building  sheds  upon  a  level  piece  of  ground  near  the  lower  end  of  the  island,  and  in  a 
few  days  they  put  up  accommodations  for  over  five  hundred  head  of  cattle,  besides  a 
house  for  the  Chinese  contractors ;  then  having  thrown  up  an  embankment  round  the 
island,  which  they  further  protected  by  palisades  driven  near  the  water's  edge, 
Woodward  directed  Lieutenant  Russell  to  take  command  of  the  fort,  assisted  by  the 
acting  boatswain,  a  gunner's  mate,  and  a  garrison  of  thirty-five  seaman. 

In  a  few  nights  the  contractors  began  to  receive  bullocks  from  all  parts  of  the  river,, 
and  the  supply  seemed  unlimited ;  but  after  several  lots  had  been  despatched  to  Hong- 
Kong,  the  number  brought  decreased,  and  at  length  only  one  or  two  would  be  forthcoming, 
and  these  were  very  ordinary  beasts  indeed.  Upon  the  pilot  being  questioned,  he 
informed  them  that  "  Comprador  no  can  catchee  peecee  Boolaky,  him  all  lib  topside 
river,"  or,  in  other  words,  the  supply  was  exhausted  about  Yin-sin  Fort,  and  they 
would  have  to  go  further  up  the  river.  Woodward  did  not  like  to  leave  the  cattle  to 
the  sole  guard  of  the  garrison,  so  he  concluded  to  wait  for  a  few  days,  when  he  could 
obtain  a  gun-boat  to  assist  the  contractors,  preferring  that  course  to  risking  the  safety 
of  his  men. 

It  was  well  that  he  did  so,  for  one  night  as  he  was  quietly  anchored  ahead  of  the 
island,  the  man  upon  the  look-out  on  the  port  side  of  the  forecastle  suddenly  announced 
that  a  big  craft  was  dropping  down  upon  them,  and  before  they  could  get  up  anchor 
two  immense  junks  filled  with  Tjrushwood,  pitch,  oil,  and  other  combustibles,  were 
cleverly  floated,  across  the  Stinger's  bows,  and  in  an  instant,  the  fore  part  of  the  ship 
was  enveloped  in  flame.  Woodward  knowing  the  probability  of  such  an  attack,  had  an 
anchor  fastened  to  the  jib-boom  in  such  a  manner  that  in  case  a  fire-ship  got  across  his 
bows,  it  might  be  dropped  on  board  the  burning  craft,  then  slipping  his  own  bower  to 
the  chain  of  which  this  suspended  anchor  was  attached,  he  would  be  able  to  drop  quite 
clear  of  the  fire-ship,  which  being  left  anchored  to  his  late  moorings,  would  burn  itself 
out,  while  he  was  hove  off  at  a  short  distance. 

This  was  all  very  nice  in  theory,  but  the  fire-junks  were  floated  down  so  silently, 
that  no  one  saw  them  until  they  were  almost  fast  to  the  bows.  When  the  officer  of  the 
watch  ordered  the  suspended  anchor  to  be  cut  adrift,  it  was  found  to  be  foul  and 
would  not  start,  and  Woodward  getting  on  deck,  saw  at  a  glance  that  the  ship  would 
be  lost  if  no  one  could  manage  to  cut  the  obstruction  to  their  only  means  of  safety. 
However,  he  did  not  show  wbJK;  he  felt,  but  gave  his  orders  in  a  cool  and  deliberate 
manner. 

"  Pay  out  the  cable,  and  stand  by  to  slip  the  anchor." 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir,"  replied  the  boatswain's  mate  of  the  watch. 

The  fire-junks  hung  for  a  few  moments  upon  his  bows,  but  being  slack  water,  did 
not  drop  upon  her ;  and  the  Stinger  having  steam  up,  "  went  astern"  slowly,  leaving  the 
Chinese  engines  of  destruction  moored  by  the  lines  by  which  they  had  been  towed  down 
upon  the  man-of-war.  As  the  ship  receded  from  their  fiery  contact  the  flames  ran 
along  her  bowsprit  and  caught  the  bulwarks,  but  a  well-directed  stream  of  water 
from  her  pumps  soon  extinguished  that,  and  the  further  burning  of  the  bowsprit  and 
projecting  spars  was  prevented. 

The  Chinese  who  were  managing  the  attack  seeing  the  Stinger  move  from  her 
anchorage  slacked  their  tow-lines,  and  Woodward  saw  the  junks  were  coming  down 
upon  him  again. 

"  Who'll  volunteer  to  cut  away  that  spare  anchor  when  the  junks  are  again  under 
the  bows?" 


172  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  TIIE  ADVENTUKES  OF 

"  I  will,  sir,"  cried  Tom  Clare,  who,  dressed  in  a  blanket  frock  and  trousers,  looked 
more  like  an  Esquimaux  than  a  sailor.  "  The  fire  won't  hurt  this  rig." 

"  Up  you  get,  then  ;  the  fire  won't  touch  you  if  you're  smart,  as  the  wina  has  fallen, 
:and  is  drawing  aft.  The  tricing  line  has  fouled  just  abaft  the  foretopmast  stay.  Don't 
•cut  until  I  give  the  order." 

Luckily  the  stays  were  made  of  corrugated  iron  wire,  and  Clare  knew  if  he  could 
feel  those  he  was  safe,  even  though  the  smoke  blinded  him.  He  was  determi»ed  to 
save  the  ship ;  and,  axe  in  hand,  mounted  the  head  grating,  and  running  out  upon  the 
bowsprit,  calmly  waited  for  the  fire-junks  to  drop  down  near  enough  for  the  anchor  to 
plump  aboard  them.  As  he  stood  there,  with  the  red  gleam  of  the  burning  junks 
•showing  every  line  in  his  face,  he  looked  the  handsome  Tom  Clare  of  former  days  ;  and 
inowing  how  perilous  his  position  was,  many  of  the  crew  wished  almost  any  other 
anan  of  their  number  there  instead  of  him. 

"  They're  coming,  Clare.  Stand  by,  and  let  them  get  close  enough.  I'll  give  you 
orders  when  to  cut." 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir,"  quietly  replied  Tom. 

Down  dropped  the  burning  craft  towards  the  ship,  every  now  and  then  sending  a 
volume  of  smoke  into  the  sky,  as  some  store  of  combustible  exploded  on  board  them, 
flaming  like  furnace  tops,  with  their  entire  length  an  unbroken  mass  of  roaring,  singing 
fire.  Tom  felt  the  glare  upon  his  face,  and  found  a  difficulty  in  breathing.  Nearer 
.and  nearer  they  approached,  until  the  flying  jib-boom  was  again  on  fire,  and  he  began 
to  experience  the  sensation  of  burning  whiskers  and  singed  eyebrows  and  face.  But  as 
aio  order  came,  he  waited. 

"  Cut  away  !  " 

Steadying  himself  upon  the  bowsprit,  which  was  now  enveloped  in  flame,  the  gallant 
fellow  gave  one  smart  cut.  The  obstruction  was  severed,  and  the  anchor  dropped 
•crashing  on  board  the  starboard  fire-junk.  In  an  instant  the  chain,  cable  was 
slipped  on  board,  and  the  Stinger  tore  astern  at  full  speed.  "When  they  got  clear  of 
the  burning  masses  Woodward  enquired  for  Clare,  but  no  one  had  noticed  him  come  in, 
and  the  commander  feared  he  had  fallen  a  victim  to  his  bravery. 

"Clare!     Where's  Clare?" 

"  Clare !  Clare ! "  bawled  half-a-dozen  voices,  but  no  response  came.  It  was  a 
moment  of  great  anxiety,  for  the  Chinese,  finding  their  junks  anchored,  were  endeavour- 
ing to  drop  down  another  burning  craft ;  and  although  the  captain  would  willingly  have 
risked  his  own  life  in  an  endeavour  to  pick  up  Clare,  he  felt  the  safety  of  the  ship  was 
of  more  consequence,  and  was  compelled  to  move  down  the  river  until  he  was  below  the 
fort  and  quite  secure  from  further  attempts  with  fire-junks. 

The  crew  soon  managed  to  extinguish  the  fire  forward,  and  within  ten  minutes  of 
'Clare's  gallant  act  a  number  of  men  were  standing  upon  the  spot  where  he  performed 
it.  Loud  and  hearty  were  their  commendations,  and  all  regretted  his  sad  fate. 

"  He's  drowned.  Can't  ye  see  ?  When  he  cut  the  lashing  of  that  anchor  the  bow- 
sprit was  burning  under  him,  and  the  tar  on  the  stays  was  alight.  The  smoke  choked 
him,  and  he  fell  overboard." 

"  Poor  Tom !  and  he  a  gettin'  on  so  nicely.     Well,  it  are  hard." 

When  the  fire-junks  began  to  burn  down,  a  number  of  guns  laid  in  rows  in  their 
tolds,  went  off,  and  sent  their  shot  scattering  across  the  paddy  fields.  Seeing  this, 
Lieutenant  Russell  opened  fire  with  the  guns  of  Yin-sin  Fort,  and  after  several  rounds, 
sunk  one  of  the  ships  and  blew  up  another.  The  third,  now  no  longer  obstructed, 
floated  with  the  tide  up  the  river,  and  exploding,  set  fire  to  some  Chinese  row-boats 
which  were  hovering  near. 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    "THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE. 

Lieutenant  Russell,  knowing  the  Chinese  might  take  advantage  of  the  confusion,, 
and  endeavour  to  carry  off  the  live  stock,  had  ordered  his  men  to  rouse  the  contractors, 
and  direct  them  to  get  the  bullocks  inside  the  walls,  while  ha  watched  the  progress  of  the 
attack,  and  kept  off  a  fleet  of  row-boats,  which  were  evidently  bent  on  following  up  the 
fire-ships.  The  cattle  being  securely  got  in,  the  compradors  were  rigged  in  sailor's 
attire,  and  all  hands  got  ready  to  resist  any  attack  which  might  be  made  upon  their 
position,  the  lieutenant  knowing  it  would  be  useless  to  depend  upon  assistance  from  the- 
ship. 

Just  as  the  latter  got  clear  of  the  fire-junks,  and  while  the  attention  of  the  garrison 
was  drawn  to  their  shipmates'  peril,  a  party  of  "  braves  "  succeeded  in  making  a  landing- 
upon  a  small  jetty  or  pier,  which  had  been  run  out  from  the  lower  end  of  the  island, 
and  in  a  short  time  the  cattle  sheds  and  compradors'  huts  were  wrapped  in  flames. 
Finding  the  live  stock  out  of  their  reach,  they  advanced  boldly  towards  the  fort,  and. 
threw  over  the  ramparts  lighted  balls  composed  of  flax  steeped  in  resin. 

Wonderful  to  relate,  instead  of  intimidating  the  imprisoned  Fanquis,  the  braves- 
found  their  flaming  missiles  come  flying  back  upon  them  ;  and  to  add  to  their  discom- 
forture,  a  party,  headed  by  the  acting  boatswain,  sallied  forth  from  a  small  gate,  the- 
existence  of  which  was  unknown  to  them,  whereupon  they  threw  down  their  arms,  and 
made  for  the  water,  but  were  caught  in  the  gap  between  the  outside  slope  of  the 
embankment  and  the  palisades.  The  sailors  showed  no  quarter,  and  made  short  work 
of  the  braves,  who  crouched  down  and  allowed  themselves  to  be  killed  in  a  calmly- 
Oriental  manner. 

Having  cleared  the  island  of  their  enemies,  the  party  were  about  to  return,  when- 
one  of  them  declared  he  heard  some  one  in  the  water,  and  proceeded  to  fire  his  pistol- 
in  the  direction  from  which  the  sound  proceeded,  when,  to  their  astonishment,  they 
heard  a  voice  faintly  cry,  "  Stop." 

"If  s  one  of  our  fellers,"  observed  a  boy. 

"  Nonsense  !     How  can  that  be  ?  " 

"  Hold  hard !    It's  me,  C— lare." 

Thompson  was  shading  his  eyes,  and  looking  towards  the  water,  when  he  heard  this  ; 
but  in  a  moment  after  forced  his  way  through  the  palisades,  and  waded  towards  Clare, 
crying. 

"  Just  another  stroke,  Tom,  old  man,  and  you're  safe ;  there's  bottom  all  along 
here." 

Hearing  Jerry's  voice,  Clare  dropped  his  feet,  and  found  he  could  touch  the  mudr 
upon  which  he  waded  towards  his  friend,  who  advanced  to  meet  him  with  outstretched 
hands. 

"  Tom,  old  chap,  however  did  you  come  here  ?  " 

Clare  grasped  the  acting  boatswain  by  the  arm,  then  fell  heavily  forward,  as  if 
fainting. 

"  You  fellers,  come  here  !     He's  gone  off  like  a  dead  un !  " 

The  mystified  sailors  waded  into  the  water,  and  bore  the t  inanimate  form  towards 
the  bank,  when,  a  light  being  produced,  it  was  found  that  Clare  was  in  a  sort  of 
fit. 

At  that  moment  the  cutter  arrived  from  the  ship,  and  Tom  was  placed  in  it,  and 
conveyed  on  board.  Captain  "Woodward  hastened  to  the  gangway,  and  himself  received 
the  suffering  sailor,  who  was  in  a  very  precarious  state ;  and  as  it  was  considered 
desirable  to  keep  him  quiet,  he  was  placed  in  the  acting  boatswain's  cabin,  und 
immediately  taken  charge  of  by  the  kind  doctor. 

When  the  latter  had  attended^to  Clare,  he  went  aft  to  the  captain's  cabin,  and 


174  '  BLUE    JACKETS  ;     OK,    THE    ADVENTUKES    OF 

reported  the  coxswain  to  be  suffering  from  great  prostration,  resulting  from  excitement 
and  sudden  immersion  in  the  water,  adding,  "  it  may  be  weeks  before  he  is  fit  to  go  to 
duty  again." 

The  next  morning  Thompson  went  on  board  and  saw  his  friend,  who  looked  as  if  he 
•would  not  be  long  with  them ;  but  in  a  few  days  a  marked  improvement  took  place, 
and  Clare  was  able  to  get  up. 

When  Tom  was  well  enough  to  walk  up  to  the  quarter-deck,  Captain  Woodward 
mustered  his  crew,  and  publicly  thanked  him  for  his  gallant  conduct.  "  I  have  written 
to  the  admiral,  and  given  him  a  full  account  of  your  noble  deed,  and  I  hope  in  a  few  days 
to  tell  you  what  he  thinks  of  your  bravery." 

Upon  hearing  these  kind  words  Tom  shuddered.  He  knew  that  he  deserved  them, 
but  the  assembly  of  men  reminded  him  so  strongly  of  the  occasion  upon  which  he  was 
flosrged,  that  instead  of  expressing  satisfaction,  he  felt  depressed ;  his  only  pleasure  was 
in  thinking  how  it  would  please  his  wife  when  she  heard  of  it ;  and,  to  his  great  joy, 
shortly  after  the  men  were  dismissed,  a  mail  arrived  from  England  bringing  him 
several  letters  from  her,  one  of  which  was,  singularly  enough,  dated  the  16th  of  August 
and  ended  with  the  words,  "  We  are  all  in  good  health,  thank  goodness,"  upon  reading 
which  Tom  informed  his  friend  that  now  he  had  such  evidence  he  would  not  believe 
that  she  was  dead,  and  from  that  day  never  spoke  of  the  illusion  to  any  one. 

One  day,  when  he  found  his  patient  in  a  suitable  state,  the  doctor  questioned  him 
as  to  his  feelings  when  he  was  standing  upon  the  bowsprit,  with  the  fire  blazing  up 
under  him,  to  which  he  replied,  "  Well,  doctor,  when  I  heered  the  captain  say  he 
wanted  a  volunteer,  I  somehow  got  hold  of  an  axe  and  ran  out,  never  thinking  or  caring 
for  the  fire.  I  felt  like  I  used  to  afore  I  were  flogged, — bold,  plucky  like.  It  seemed 
an  age  afore  I  heard  his  voice  a  ordering  me  to  cut,  and  the  smoke  came  up  so  thick  and 
stifling  that  I  could  scarcely  breathe.  All  at  once  the  flame  caught  my  whiskers  and 
singed  my  dress  !  but,  thank  God,  the  wind  drew  aft,  and  beyond  the  smoke  I  didn't 
feel  no  hurt,  but  I  thought  the  captain  never  would  call  out.  Suddenly  I  hears  his 
voice,  loud  and  clear  as  a  bell,  crying,  '  Cut  away  ! '  So  I  ups  axe,  and  away  went  the 
anchor,  which  I  knew  by  the  end  of  the  line  being  gone.  Just  as  I  turned  to  go  inboard 
the  screw  began  to  revolve,  and  as  the  ship  left  the  junks  the  smoke  drew  aft  again,  and 
I  got  half  choked  and  fell  overboard.  Lucky  it  were  slack  water  and  I  a  good 
swimmer ;  so  kicking  off  my  heavy  flannel  trousers  and  pulling  off  my  frock,  I  struck 
out  for  the  island,  where  I  were  picked  up  by  Mr.  Jerry  Thompson." 

Finding  the  supply  of  live  stock  becoming  beautifully  less  every  day,  Woodward 
wrote  to  the  admiral  and  obtained  a  gun-boat,  guarded  by  which  the  compradors 
collected  a  great  quantity  of  bullocks,  in  fact,  rather  overstocked  the  island,  and  as 
they  charged  a  good  price  for  the  cattle,  they  waxed  rich  and  insolent.  Hoo-kee  was 
constantly  with  them ;  and  according  to  his  account,  there  never  were  such  honest 
compradors  in  that  line  before.  However,  one  morning  a  little  affair  occurred  which 
not  only  damaged  the  pilot's  veracity  but  convicted  that  diplomatic  individual  of 
collusion  with  them  to  cheat  the  Fanqui  authorities.  As  the  ship's  company  were 
scrubbing  decks,  the  signal-man  observed  to  the  officer  of  the  watch,  that  there  were 
a  lot  of  Chinese  fellows  on  the  banks  waving  a  white  flag,  which  intelligence  was  at 
once  communicated  to  the  commander,  who  sent  Hoo-kee  to  ascertain  what  they 
wanted,  when,  upon  nearing  the  bank,  the  pilot  thus  addressed  them  : — 

"You  precious  half-starved,  mean-looking  miserables,  what  are  you  kow-towing 
there  for  ?  " 

"  We  want  to  see  the  Fanqui  chief,"  chorussed  the  villagers. 

"  Do  you  ?     Well,  he  don't  want  to  see  you." 


J.   THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    "  THE    HEATHEN   CHINEE."  175 

"But  we  wiU  see  him,  we  will  see  him,  you  man  of  the  two  faces  !  You  no  Chinese, 
no  Fanqui,  eater-of-women's-hearts." 

"Who  stole  our  bullocks?  "  screamed  the  women  among  the  crowd. 

"  You  shut  up,  or  it  will  be  worse  for  you,  my  pretty  hens,"  retorted  the  ungallant 
pilot. 

"  Who  stole  our  ducks  ?  "  yelled  the  children. 

"  Come,"  said  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  boat,  "  what  do  they  want  ?  What's  all 
the  jabber  about  ?  " 

"Him  say  him  wantchee  mi  go  way." 

"  Shove  off!    oars  !  " 

"  Stop,  smallee  peecee,"  cried  a  villager  in  very  decent  pigeon  English.  "  Him  com 
catchee  mi  duck,  me  wantchee  speekee  claptlain  man." 

"  Jump  in,  then,  you  fellows  who  want  to  go  aboard,"  cried  the  officer :  and  in  a  few 
seconds  the  gentleman  who  spoke  English  and  four  venerable  elders  of  the  village  were 
seated  in  the  boat,  and  on  their  way  towards  the  dreaded  Fanqui  ship,  "  with  their  hearts 
in  their  mouths,"  and  fear  or  astonishment  exhibited  in  every  line  of  their  faces ;  none  of 
them  being  sure  if  the  head  Foreign  Western  Devil  would  treat  them  kindly,  or  have 
them  cooked  for  the  delectation  of  his  red  and  blue  devils,  who  were  reported  to  be 
fond  of  baked  Celestials. 

Hoo-kee  subsided  into  a  sulky  state,  and  did  not  condescend  to  cajole  or  abuse  the 
elders,  and  it  was  very  evident  to  the  officer  that  an  exposure  of  some  kind  or  another 
was  in  store  for  that  valiant  individual.  Upon  arrival  on  board,  the  Pigeon-English- 
man walked  aft,  and  with  fce  venerable  elders  performed  a  solemn  kow-tow,  and  when 
they  had  sufficiently  consolidated  their  ideas  by  knocking  their  heads  upon  the  quarter- 
deck, the  leader  craved  permission  to  speak,  which  being  granted  he  went  ahead  as 
follows : — 

"  Big  peecee  claptlain,  all  peecee  man  cum  catchee  boolakki  no  payee  mi  one  tarn 
cash." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  the  compradors  have  not  paid  you  for  the  bullocks  you 
have  sent  off  to  us  ?"  » 

"  Mi  no  sendee  off.  Him  cum  catchee  teefee.  Him  long  tim  no  hab  catchee,  now 
alia  gonne.  Him  all  same  teefee  peecee  gallee. 

"  Hoo-kee,  come  here  !  " 

The  pilot  advanced  with  fear  and  trembling,  declaring  that  the  speaker  was  "  a 
nomba  one  first-class  liar,"  and  "  would  sell  his  own  long-tim  faader  for  one  peecee 
dolla,"  but  when  he  had  finished  the  sentence  he  found  a  marine  at  each  elbow,  with 
their  drawn  bayonets  pointed  at  his  breast ;  seeing  which  he  held  his  tongue,  and  pre- 
pared himself  for  the  worst. 

"  Send  for  the  contractors,  and  bring  their  money  bags  with  them." 

As  the  Chinese  supplicants  for  justice  felt  rather  nervous,  they  again  kow-tow'd, 
by  way  of  fortifying  themselves  for  what  was  to  follow,  imagining  that  the  Fanqui 
captain  would  at  least  behead  the  contractors,  and  torture  the  pilot ;  further  supposing 
he  would  seize  the  cash  belonging  to  the  scoundrels,  and  appropriate  it  to  his  own 
uses,  that  being  the  way  many  of  their  own  rulers  would  dispense  justice  under  such 
circumstances.  All  they  wanted,  or  tit  least  expected  to  get  was  revenge — blood  for 
bullocks  was  their  idea. 

Upon  the  contractors  making  their  appearance,  they  were  compelled  to  disgorge 
their  dollars,  whereupon  the  captain  sent  for  the  acting  boatswain  and  told  him  to  rig 
a  block  upon  which  to  behead  the  party,  and  in  a  short  time  the  butcher's  log  was  con- 


176  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVENTITRKS  OF 

veyed  aft,  and  placed  in  position,  Thompson  sprinkling  sawdust  round  the  place,  and 
sharpening  the  cleaver  in  a  most  artistic  and  dramatic  manner. 

After  a  patient  investigation,  the  commander,  finding  it  necessary  to  make  a  severe 
example  of  the  head  comprador,  directed  him  to  be  placed  in  the  gangway,  and  having 
given  him  "  time  to  say  his  prayers,"  which  the  fellow  refused  with  scorn,  the  marines 
levelled  their  rifles  and  shot  him,  his  body  falling  overboard  and  sinking  immediately. 
Then  the  rest  of  his  band  were  placed  behind  a  screen,  and  one  by  one  brought  out,  and 
told  to  place  their  heads  upon  the  block,  and  it  was  strange  to  see  with  what  composure 
they  shut  their  eyes  and  awaited  the  fatal  cut.  At  a  signal  from  the  captain  the  cleaver 
descended  and  cut  off  their — queues ;  then,  they  were  led  to  a  port,  and  bundled  over- 
board, to  sink  or  swim  as  best  able. 

When  all  were  disposed  of,  the  captain  turned  to  the  pilot  and  ordered  him  to  confess 
or  share  the  fate  of  the  others,  upon  which  Hoo-kee  fell  upon  his  knees  and  made  a  clean 
breast  of  it.  Not  only  had  the  compradors,  under  threat  of  bringing  the  Fanquis  down 
upon  the  villagers,  obtained  cattle  and  other  live  stock,  but  actually  the  scoundrels, 
sheltered  by  the  ship's  guns,  had  seized  and  carried  away  a  large  number  of  gifls,. 
whom  they  had  sold  to  Hong-Kong  dealers. 

The  English-speaking  villager  and  his  .friends  were  asked  of  how  much  they  had 
been  plundered,  when,  finding  they  had  a  chance  of  being  repaid,  one  of  the  old  gentle- 
men put  on  a  pair  of  horn  spectacles,  and  taking  out  a  square  of  paper  and  a  wet  pencil, 
ran  off  a  bill  which  would  have  done  credit  to  the  ingenuity  of  a  French  hotel- 
keeper. 

"  Two  thousand  dollars  for  women,  and  one  thousand  dollars  for  cattle  stolen," 
observed  the  spectacled  one  in  Chinese,  tendering  the  bill  to  tie  commander. 

"  How  much  does  he  say  pilot  ?  Mind  you  speak  the  truth." 

"  Him  speekee  to  tousance  peecee  dolla  catchee  gallee,  one  tousance  catchee  bool- 
akki." 

"  Paymaster,  give  them  three  thousand  dollars,  and  take  their  receipt." 

"Fo — !  "  cried  the  most  venerable  of  the  elders  when  the  money  was  handed  over, 
and  found  to  be  correct.  "  What  a  pack  of  fools  they  are,  and  how  weak  we  were  not 
to  ask  more ; "  then,  having  humbly  kow-tow'd,  they  took  up  their  money-bags 
and  hurried  over  the  side,  fearing  if  they  lingered  that  the  Fanquis  might  change  their 
minds  and  "  squeeze  them,"  as  their  own  officials  would  have  done  under  like  circum- 
stances. 

Hoo-kee  was  sent  to  Hong-Kong,  and  kicked  out  of  H.M.  Service,  after  which  he 
hired  a  bum-boat,  and  swindled  the  sailors  belonging  to  the  fleet. 

A  few  days  after  the  execution  of  the  head  comprador  and  dismissal  of  his  bartd,  a 
gun-boat  arrived  from  Hong-Kong,  bearing  orders  for  the  ship  to  proceed  to  Canton. 

Visions  of  loot,  crape  shawls,  old  china,  wooden  gods,  bars  of  silver,  curios,  and 
chests  of  tea,  flitted  through  the  minds  of  the  Stingers,  who  imagined  how  rich  they 
would  be  when  they  got  at  the  treasures  in  Yeh's  palace,  while  that  astute  Tartar  pre- 
pared to  repel  their  assaults ;  and  when  the  plundering  of  his  ya-mun  was  hinted  at  by 
a  nervous  mandarin,  first  drove  the  craven  from  his  presence,  and  then,  knowingly 
winking  his  pig-like  eyes,  exclaimed,  "  Plunder  my  palace,  indeej  !  Take  my  city  ? 
Never!" 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    "  THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE."  177 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE  Stinger  steamed  up  the  river,  and  in  due  time  arrived  off  the  city  of  Canton, 
where  "Woodward  was  directed  to  anchor,  and  await  instructions  from  the  com- 
mander-in-chief,  the  day  of  attack  being  kept  a  profound  secret.  Yeh  obstinately 
refused  to  listen  to  the  numerous  deputations  sent  him  by  influential  corporations 
belonging  to  the  city,  who  knew  full  well  what  would  be  the  result  of  the  combined 
attacks  of  the  English  and  French  forces. 

In  vain  did  old  Ho-qua  himself  seek  an  interview,  and  with  tears  in  his  eyes, 
beg  that  the  great  Tartar  would  listen  to  reason  and  make  terms  with  the  fierce 
invaders,  even  offering  Yeh  a  good  round  sum  of  money  if  he  would  allow  him  to 
negotiate  with  the  outside  barbarians ;  but  the  well-advertised  tea-dealer,  like  the 
rest  of  the  remonstrants,  was  ignominiously  driven  out  of  the  governor's  presence. 
Yeh  looked  upon  the  whole  affair  from  a  Chinese  point  of  view,  and  could  not 
understand  why  he,  the  governor  of  Kwan-tung — a  Tartar  of  great  literary  ability — 
should  so  far  humiliate  himself  as  to  sue  for  peace,  because,  forsooth,  a  few.  red- 
haired  barbarians  were  thundering  at  the  gates.  Let  them  thunder, — the  walls  were 
thick  enough :  and,  as  his  omens  were  all  propitious,  he  imagined  himself  secure ; 
but  took  the  wise  precaution  of  sending  his  household  and  private  treasure  away 
out  of  reach  of  ill-disposed  persons  belonging  to  the  city. 

Finding  him  inexorable,  the  principal  merchants  fled  to  their  country  residences, 
leaving  their  stores  in  charge  of  faithful  servants ;  but  the  bulk  of  the  population, 
influenced  by  the  governor's  bombastic  proclamations,  went  on  with  their  work  as 
coolly  as  ever,  and  ridiculed  all  idea  of  the  combined  forces  being  able  to  take 
Canton. 

The  allies,  finding  that  the  Chinese  population  did  not  heed  the  warnings  posted 
and  distributed  by  an  armed  party  among  the  houses  near  the  water's  edge,  determined 
to  send  a  trusty  agent  actually  into  the  city ;  but  the  plan  was  somewhat  a  difficult  one, 
as  none  of  the  renegades  would  undertake  such  a  hazardous  task.  It  now  seemed  im- 
possible to  save  them,  and  it  was  feared  that  thousands  of  innocent  people  would  fall 
victims  to  Yeh's  ignorance  and  indifference  to  bloodshed,  when  some  one  happening  to 
think  of  Thompson,  Captain  Woodward  received  instructions  to  sound  him  upon  the 
matter. 

"  Do  you  think  you  could  manage  the  business  without  detection,  Mr.  Thomp- 
son?" 

"  Bless  you,  sir,  I  can  post  several  thousand  bills  in  a  couple  of  nights." 

"  How  will  you  go  about  it  ?  Mind,  we  should  be  very  sorry  indeed  for  you  to  lose 
your  life." 

"  Leave  it  to  me,  sir.  Of  course  there's  risk  in  it,  but  it  ain't  no  worse  than  I've  run 
before  for  mere  fun.  Provided  no  soul  but  us  knows  about  it  I'll  do  it,  and  be  back  in 
a  few  days,  as  right  as  a  trivet." 

"  Very  well,  Mr.  Thompson ;  you  ought  to  know  how  far  you  can  go." 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  means  to  go  right  in  and  come  out  again  ;  and  please  goodness  if  I've 
any  luck,  I'll  stick  a  programme  right  before  old  Yeh's  front  door." 

The  acting  boatswain  left  the  ship  about  dusk,  and  shortly  afterwards  returned  with 
a  suit  of  scavenger's  clothes  and  a  hat,  both  very  dirty,  two  filthy  pails,  and  a  bamboo 
bearing-pole,  also  a  Chinese  pass,  which,  being  translated,  ran  as  follows : — 

"  Chuy,  Bearer  of  garbage  from   the   city  of  Kwan-tung  to  boats  on  the  river,  by 

12 


178  BLUE  JACKETS;  OR,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

this  enters  and  departs  from  The  Gate  of  Eternal  Purity  and  Joy  between  the  hours 
of  sunset  and  sunrise." 

"  Respect  this. 
"  (Signed)  CHIH-FA, 

"  HO-PO-SO  "  (Director  of  Boats), 

"  KWANG-CHOW-FOO  "  (City  district  of  Canton). 

The  ship's  barber — a  marine  named  Reece — was  called  into  Thompson's  cabin,  and 
in  a  short  time  the  acting  warrant-officer  once  more  appeared  in  his  old  character  of 
Lew;  then  having  besmeared  his  person  with  some  clay  brought  on  board  for  the 
purpose,  the  upper  deck  was  cleared,  and,  under  cover  of  the  night,  Jerry  landed  and 
wandered  about  until  he  came  across  other  scavengers,  with  whom  he  proceeded  to 
"  The  Gate  of  Eternal  Purity  and  Joy,"  that  being  the  sweet  name  of  the  dirtiest  gate 
in  the  city,  through  which  all  the  rubbish  was  carried  in  tubs  and  pails,  underground 
sewerage  being  one  of  the  modern  improvements  unknown  to  the  Celestials. 

Upon  arrival  at  the  gate,  which  was  guarded  by  a  considerable  number  of  Tartar 
soldiers,  each  man  was  stopped  and  searched,  and  Thompson  feared  they  would  find 
the  six  thousand  small  proclamations  which  he  had  secreted  under  his  jacket,  but  at 
that  moment  the  guard  was  relieved,  and  as  the  man  deputed  to  search  him  felt  weary, 
he  merely  gave  him  a  kick,  and  in  a  few  moments  Jerry  found  himself  inside  the  outer 
wall.  Like  all  other  large  cities,  Canton  had  its  day  and  its  night  population ;  the 
latter  being  composed  of  night  watchmen,  who  struck  the  hour  oil  bamboos,  scavengers, 
and  the  people  who  supplied  them  with  refreshments,  or  assisted  them  in  their 
vocation. 

Having  proceeded  some  distance,  he  came  across  a  blind  woman  selling  a  kind  of 
thin  paste  made  of  boiled  rice,  used  as  food  by  the  night  watchmen ;  of  this  Jerry 
purchased  about  a  dozen  pints,  and  dumped  it  into  one  of  his  pails,  after  which  the 
crone  sung  herself  into  a  doze.  Knowing  the  old  woman  would  not  be  able  to  inform 
against  him,  he  put  down  his  pails  and  relieved  himself  of  one  of  the  twelve  packages 
which  were  bound  round  his  body.  These  were  printed  upon  thin  Chinese  paper,  six 
inches  long  by  three  wide,  and  were  so  light  that  but  for  fear  of  discovery  he  might 
have  carried  double  the  number.  He  took  care  not  to  detach  more  than  one  parcel  at  a 
time,  and  even  that  he  kept  out  of  sight,  by  hiding  it  in  the  band  of  his  dress.  The 
proclamation  ran  as  follows : — 

"  To  the  Inhabitants  of  Kwan-tung. 
"  Your  city  is  in  danger  of 
destruction  by  the  guns  of 
the  "Western  men.  Heed  not 
the  voice  of  your  rulers,  but 
flee  all  of  you  who  are  not 
fighting  men.  Let  these  who 
are  in  Yeh's  service  stay  and 
defend  the  walls,  but  you 
innocent  people  leave  the 
city,  which  will  shortly  be 
destroyed  by  fire. 

"  Respect  this  notice,  which  is  sent  out 

of  pity  for  the  aged,  women,  and 

children." 


.1.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    ''THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE."  179 

Thompson,  knowing  it  would  not  do  to  placard  the  spot  near  where  he  purchased 
his  paste,  shaped  his  course  for  the  inner  or  Tartar  city,  and  by  good  luck  passed  the 
guard  there  as  safely  as  the  last,  he  being  taken  for  one  of  the  numerous  scavengers 
who  perambulate  the  place  at  all  hours  of  the  night,  in  pursuit  of  their  repulsive 
calling.  Once  inside,  he  commenced  the  business  upon  which  he  came,  and  ere  the  day 
dawned  had  posted  about  half  of  the  notices,  taking  particular  care  to  stick  them  upon 
the  walls  before  the  entrance  of  large  buildings  ;  and  when  the  city  awoke  he  had  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  hundreds  of  the  poorer  classes  congregating  about  the  bills,  upon 
which  they  passed  remarks  not  very  complimentary  to  their  ruler. 

When  the  shopkeepers  began  to  unpack 'their  wares  Thompson  retired  to  the  ruina 
of  a  government  building,  which  had  been  destroyed  by  "  barbarian's  "  shell  the  preced- 
ing year,  and,  having  found  a  nice  out-of-the-way  hole,  thrust  in  his  buckets  and 
bearer,  then  got  in  himself,  and  in  a  few  moments  fell  sound  asleep,  and  dreamt  he  waa 
anywhere  else  but  inside  the  Tartar  portion  of  the  city  of  Canton.  "When  he  awoke 
he  found  it  was  getting  dusk ;  so,  after  shaking  himself,  he  fished  out  his  stock-in-trade, 
placed  the  pole  upon  his  shoulder,  slung  his  buckets,  and  trotted  out  into  the  streets, 
crying,  "  Ah-ho — Ah-ho — Ah-ho,"  in  the  most  approved  scavenger  style.  His  greatest 
difficulty  was  to  avoid  being  engaged  by  some  person  who  had  rubbish  to  get  rid  of, 
but  by  dint  of  pretending  to  be  deaf,  he  succeeded  in  getting  away  from  all  such 
inconvenient  patrons. 

Jerry  found  no  trouble  in  obtaining  food,  which  'he  ate  as  he .  stood  with  the 
buckets  slung  from  his  bearing-pole,  after  the  manner  of  other  carriers,  but  even  at 
such  times  he  was  busy  in  slyly  pasting*  the  notices  upon  the  garments  of  those  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact. 

That  night  he  completely  "  did  "  the  Tartar  quarter,  getting  safely  outside  the  inner 
wall  before  daybreak,  when  he  again  sought  the  friendly  shelter  of  some  ruins,  and 
spent  the  day  as  before.  At  dusk  he  once  more  sallied  forth,  and  wandered  all  over 
the  city,  posting  an  immense  number  of  placards,  and  sometimes  narrowly  escaping 
arrest  by  the  Tartar  sentries,  who  were  beginning  to  be  very  vigilant,  but  his 
unsavoury  aspect  threw  them  off  their  guard. 

Having  affixed  his  last  paper  but  one,  he  determined  to  retrace  his  steps,  but  ere  he 
reached  "  the  Gate  of  Eternal  Purity "  he  was  stopped,  and  ordered  to  follow  some 
Tartar  soldiers.  Knowing  resistance  to  be  useless,  and  finding  that  they  arrested  every 
scavenger  they  came  across,  he  followed  his  captors  with  a  cheerful  air,  when,  to  his 
horror,  he  found  they  were  conducting  him  to  Yeh's  ya-mun,  his  knowledge  of  th 
Canton  dialect  enabling  him  to  understand  their  conversation. 

When  they  had  secured  about  two  hundred  of  the  "  fragrant  fraternity,"  the  imperial 
soldiers  ceased  their  arrests,  and  bidding  the  captors  not  to  think  of  escaping,  drove 
them  towards  the  governor's  palace,  and  when  inside  directed  them  to  deliver  their 
buckets  to  a  guard,  who  gave  each  in  exchange  a  billet  of  wood  marked  with  a  number, 
by  which  they  could  recover  their  property.  They  were  directed,  however,  to  retain 
their  bearing-sticks. 

After  a  short  delay,  during  which  the  guard  served  out  to  them  warm  tea  and  rice 
spirit  without  stint,  they  were  marched  into  the  interior  of  the  palace,  where  sat  the 
angry  Teh  surveying  a  huge  pile  of  silver  bars,  which  he  wished  carried  out  of  the  city. 
They  were  part  of  the  imperial  treasure,  but  the  governor,  who  thought  it  as  well  to 
secure  himself  in  case  of  emergency,  determined  to  remove  some  portion  of  it,  as,  not- 
withstanding his  bombast,  he  looked  out  for  his  own  future,  and  for  that  purpose  de- 
puted two  trusty  mandarins  to  convey  the  silver  to  a  country  residence  in  the  White 


180  BLUE  JACKETS  ;  OK,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

Cloud  mountains,   where   they   had  orders  to   bury   it,   until   the   disturbances  were 
over.  • 

Thompson  was  greatly  relieved  on  finding  how  matters  stood ;  and  that  instead  of 
being,  as  he  feared,  immediately  hurried  off  to  execution,  he  would  simply  be  detained 
for  no  very  long  period,  as  the  Tartar  soldiers  had  pressed  more  scavengers  than  were 
necessary  to  convey  the  treasure. 

Yeh  was  in  a  great  rage,  swearing  at  his  officers  like  a  madman.  By  some  means  a 
number  of  spurious  bars  had  been  brought  out  and  mixed  with  the  pile,  upon  seeing 
which  the  governor  flew  at  his  assistants,  and  used  Chinese  oaths  which  would  have 
turned  a  Dutchman  pale  with  envy. 

When  the  scavengers  found  they  were  in  the  presence  of  the  great  man  who  had 
sent  so  many  thousands  to  their  last  account  they  fell  upon  their  knees,  upon  which  he 
roared  at  them  to  stand  up,  saying,  "  I  am  only  the  governor's  aide-de-camp,"  but  the 
full  face  and  cunning  eye  were  too  familiar,  and  all  of  them  knew  that  they  were  be- 
fore the.'dreaded  Yeh-ming-chin  himself.  The  governor  was  in  a  terrible  passion ;  and 
when  the  keeper  of  the  treasures  made  his  appearance  he  rushed  towards  him,  and  in 
the  usual  Celestial  fashion  slapped  his  f  Ae. 

"  Take  that,  you  thieving  dog.  You  dare  attempt  to  pass  off  such  rubbish  upon 
me." 

"  My  Lord  Yeh,  it  ia  a  mistake." 

But  Yeh  would  not  hear  a  word  of  explanation,  so  the  victim  rubbed  his  face,  and 
looked  round  at  the  scavengers,  who  gaped  at  him  with  stolid  faces,  expressive  of 
neither  pity  nor  amusement,  being  fully  aware  of  the  danger  of  manifesting  either. 
As  the  governor  darted  about  he  sometimes  thrust  the  scavengers  to  the  wall ;  and  so 
near  did  he  go  to  Thompson  on  one  occasion,  that  the  latter  contrived  tc  slip  his  re- 
maining proclamation  into  an  open  tobacco  pouch  which  was  swinging  from  the  great 
man's  girdle,  shortly  after  which  feat  he  and  the  rabble  who  were  not  wanted  received 
orders  to  clear  off. 

Having  picked  out  his  buckets,  and  received  a  red  paper,  granting  him  exemption 
from  all  enforced  labour  for  the  next  twenty-four  hours,  he  bent  his  steps  towards  the 
gate,  taking  care  to  obtain  a  load  of  rubbish  on  his  way.  But  what  a  contrast  to  the 
night  on  which  he  entered  the  city  !  then  the  place  "\^as  comparatively  deserted,  save 
by  brother  scavengers  who  would  go  limping  by  towards  one  of  the  gates  softly  crying, 
"  Ah-ho !  Ah-ho ! "  but  upon  this  night,  where  formerly  sat  the  solitary  vendor  of 
boiled  rice,  from  whom  he  purchased  his  supply  of  paste,  the  ground  was  covered 
with  refreshment-stands,  and  thousands  of  Cantonese  were  pouring  out  of  the  city  in 
consequence  of  having  read  the  notices  he  had  so  liberally  posted.  Jerry  heard  on  all 
sides  how  thankful  the  people  were  to  the  foreign  devils. 

"  They  don't  fight  US,  these  western  barbarians,  they  only  se  .-   to  punish  Yeh  ! " 

"  Bah  1  They  have  nothing  to  do  with  it.  This  proclamation  is  the  work  of  the 
Tai-ping-che-houi  (Peace  society).  Those  western  devils  never  do  any  good.  They  are 
accursed  of  the  genii,  and  only  live  to  commit  evil  acts." 

"  How  like  a  fool  you  talk  !  Why,  I  worked  for  those  same  Fanquis,  and  they  paid 
me  like  men.  Imagine  me  getting  twelve  hundred  cash  a  day  from  them  for  carpen- 
ter's work.  Indeed,  they  are  an  honourable  people." 

"  You  ought  to  be  reported  to  the  inspector  of  crimes  for  such  a  speech.  You  side 
with  the  enemies  of  your  country." 

Ere  he  reached  "  the  Gate  of  Eternal  Purity  and  Joy"  Thompson  was  compelled, 
by  the  pressure  of  the  crowd,  to  stop  before  a  mandarin's  residence,  where  the  night 
before  he  had  posted  several  of  his  warnings  alongside  the  ordinary  city  official  docu- 


.1.  THOMPSON,  A.  P>.,  AMONG  "THK  HKATHEN  CHINEE."     181 

ments ;  and  he  was  very  much  amused  to  hear  the  people  read  the  various  notices, 
offering  rewards  for  t^e  capture  of  live  Fanquis,  or  the  production  of  their  heads. 

"  To  brave  men. 

"  All  heads  of  the  dastardly  dogs,  called 
Fanquis,  brought  to  me,  Ho-pin,  who  keeps 
the  Pawnbroker's  Hall,  near  '  The  Gate  of 
Benevolent  Intent,'  will  be  paid  for  in  sil- 
ver. Ten  taels  per  head  for  common  men, 
and  twenty  taels  for  superiors  of  the  yellow 
badge.  I  deal  in  all  sorts  of  charms  against 
death  by  bullets  or  fire.  Cash  paid  for  all 
heads  ten  days  after  delivery.  Note  given 
for  the  same  on  receipt.  I  am  a  reliable 
man. 

"  HO  PIN  MOKH." 

"Hear!  Hear!  Hear! 
"  Listen,  all  ye  who  burn  with  desire  to 
avenge  the  insult  offered  to  our  beautiful 
city.  All  of  you  unite  with  me  to  pur- 
chase the  (fresh)  heads  of  Fanquis  brought 
by  our  brave  soldiers.  Five  taels  for 
each  blue  devil's  (sailor's)  head.  Ten 
for  each  red  devil's  (soldier's)  head.  I  pay 
money  down,  and  don't  give  notes  payable 
in  a  moon,  as  some  do.  I  live  in  the  street 
of  the  yellow  girdle,  overlooking  the  Tem- 
ple of  Agriculture. 

"  LAO-CHOW. 

"  Only  fresh  heads  paid  for.  None  but 
white  Fanqnis  paid  for." 

* 

It  will  be  seen  that,  in  their  desire  to  possess  the  heads  of  their  enemies,  the  clever 
Chinese  did  not  forget  to  advertise  their  business ;  indeed  if  we  except  the  wealthy 
classes,  who  purchased  the  visages  of  enemies  they  dared  not  face  in  person,  only  a  few 
of  the  city  fathers  indulged  in  such  luxuries,  and  the  articles  thus  obtained  were  exhib- 
ited as  a  lure  to  draw  customers  to  their  shops. 

After  a  time  Jerry  was  pushed  on  by  the  mob,  and  passed  through  the  outer  gate 
without  even  the  semblance  of  a  challenge.  It  was  a  wonderful  exodus,  as  nearly  all 
the  people  were  of  the  middle  class,  and  had  left  their  property  protected  only  by  bolts 
and  locks,  the  secrets  of  which  were  known  to  every  thief  in  the  country  ;  but  the  little 
notices  had  frightened  them,  and  as  Yeh  did  not  care  whether  all  the  inhabitants  left, 
provided  his  soldiers  remained,  the  guards  at  the  gates  had  secret- orders  to  wink  at  the 
emigration,  but  to  be  very  cautious  not  to  admit  disguised  Fanquis  into  the  city.  A 
proclamation  like  the  one  posted  by  Mr.  Thompson  would  have  shown  weakness  on  the 
part  of  the  governor,  but  he  did  not  care  a  fig  for  the  notices  when  they  were  once 
posted,  although  he  raised  a  great  disturbance  upon  finding  one  in  his  tobacco-pouch. 

"  What  ?     A  Fanqui  proclamation  in  my  tobacco»pouch.     Treason,  by  Fo !     Send 


182  BLUE   JACKETS  ;     OR,    THE    ADVENTURES    OF 

for  my  secretary ;  send  for  the  chief  of  the  Tartar  guard  ;  send  for  everybody ;  send  for 
my  executioner  !  "  he  cried. 

"  Gracious  Yeh,  why  are  you  so  disquieted  ?  "  observed  his  physician,  who  at  that 
moment  entered  the  arpartment.  "  Pray  do  not  be  annoyed  by  trifles." 

"  Trifles !  you  withered  old  anatomy,  you  miserable  compound  of  cunning  and  con- 
ceit, you — you  go  to — " 

"  Yes,  your  excellency ;  but  what  is  the  trouble  about  ?  What  has  the  usual  serenity 
•f  your  most  excellent  excellency's  mind  been  disturbed  about  ?"  mildly  inquired  the 
patient  and  long-suffering  "  man  of  many  remedies." 

"  Look  at  this !"  cried  the  irascible  governor,  thrusting  the  offensive  document  under 
the  nose  of  the  last  speaker,  in  a  manner  which  totally  prevented  his  reading  it.  "  Look 
at  that.  Do — you — call  that  a  trifle,  eh  ?  " 

Without  taking  notice  of  the  offensive  manner  in  which  Yeh  spoke  and  acted,  the 
fid  fellow  calmly  re-a/ljusted  his  horn  spectacles,  scratched  his  shaven  pate,  and  then 
delivered  himself  as  follows  : — 

"  My  vision's  not  quite  as  good  as  it  was  sixty  years  ago,  but  from  a  casual  inspec- 
tion I  judge  this  to  be  a  prescription  for  the  prevention  of  heart-burn,  it  being  about 
the  size  of  the  papers  I  dispense  for  that  disease." 

"  Hum !  and  you're  the  official  who  has  charge  of  my  valuable  person  ?  Go,  sir, 
you  are  dismissed ;  I  physic  myself  in  future." 

"Great  Po,  hear  him,"  cried  the  old  fellow,  falling  upon  his  hands,  and  kow-towing 
before  the  now  calmed  governor.  "  Oh,  mighty  Yeh,  don't  be  angry  with  an  old  man. 
I  confess  I  am  .almost  blind,  but  believe  me  I  am  still  possessing  my  other  faculties. 
Who  will  prescribe  for  you  when  I  am  gone  ?  Who  knows  your  constitution  as- 1  do? 
Oh,  gracious  governor,  don't  discharge  me." 

"  Go,  sir !  " 

"  Then  I  give  thee  a  parting  present,  my  lord ;  for  the  day  may  come  when 
you  will  wish  me  back.  Two  at  night  before  going  to  bed,  and  you'll  never  want 
another  physician,"  saying  which  he  handed  Yeh  a  small  bamboo-box,  then  kow-tow'd 
and  having  collected  his  treasures,  made  the  best  of  his  way  towards  the  White  Cloud 
Mountains. 

"Two  at  night.  What  does  the  fool  mean?  Two  gold-leaf  pills.  POISON;  So 
lie  thinks  these  foreign  barbarians  may  take  me,  does^he  ?  I'll  keep  them  ;  they  may 
be  useful  if  luck  goes  against  me." 

After  much  pushing  and  jostling,  Thompson  arrived  at  an  open  space  where  he 
deposited  his  buckets :  and,  walking  away,  mingled  with  the  crowd,  who  were  strug- 
gling towards  the  water's  edge,  where  the  boatmen  were  reaping  a  fine  harvest  by  car- 
rying passengers  at  about  ten  times  the  ordinary  fare.  No  one  who  could  not  pay  was 
taken  across ;  and  although  a  tremendous  crowd  was  waiting,  the  calculating  sampan 
men  would  not  lower  their  d  emands  a  sap'eck. 

Finding  his  chances  of  obtaining  a  passage  rather  small,  the  shrewd  sailor  walked 
further  down  the  river,  and  at  length  came  to  a  place  where  a  number  of  sampans  were 
actually  waiting  for  fares,  and  he  without  difficulty  got  one  to  take  him  across. 
Stepping  into  a  boat  steered  by  a  pretty  girl,  lie  motioned  h«r  to  pull  him  over 
to  Honan.  When  about  half  way  he  suddenly  seized  the  girl  from  behind,  and  before 
she  could  offer  much  resistance,  secured  her  hands  and  feet,  and  tied  a  cloth  across  her 
mouth,  then  taking  the  scull,  propelled  the  sampan  down  the  river  in  the  direction  of 
his  .ship. 

It  was  just  about  daybreak  wken  he  got  alongside,  and  having  released  and  paid 
his  boat-woman,  was  preparing  to  climb  the  ladder,  when  a  surly  marine  looking  over 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    u  THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE."  183 

the  gangway,  told  him  to  get  into  his  boat  again,  as  no  one  was  allowed  on  board  until 
the  pipe  went  for  breakfast. 

"  Hill !  here  !  dori't  you  see  who  it  is  ?  " 

"  You  get  back  into  your  sampan,  will  ye  ?'' 

"  James  Hill,  don't  you  see  it's  m<> — Mr.  Thompson  ?  "  cried  the  now  irritated  act- 
ing boatswain.  "  Are  you  mud  or  drunk  ?  can't  you  recognize  an  acting  warrant-officer 
in  disguise  ?  " 

Upon  hearing  this,  the  well-fed  marine  leaned  over  the  gangway,  until  his  cheeks 
became  the  colour  of  a  cabbage  rose, — then  after  surveying  Thompson  for  several  mo- 
ments, he  turned  his  head  and  called  to  the  sergeant,  who  was  chatting  with  the  car- 
penter near  the  main  hatchway. 

"  If  you  please,  sir,  here's  a  Chinee  who  reports  he's  the  acting  boatswain. 

"  Let  him  come  aboard,  then." 

"  You  Chinee,"  whispered  the  sentry  to  the  amused  uerry,  "  you  ken  come  aboard, 
d'ye  hear  ?  " 

"  I  hear,  Hill ;  but  who  set  up  ihis  main  rigging  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  Chinee,  Mi,  ain't  you  a  good  un  to  talk  English  ?  Why,  it's  really 
Mr.  Thompson  !  Lord,  sir !  how  you  do  disgust  yourself.  I  didn't  know  you." 

There  was  a  smile  of  satisfaction  upon  the  acting  boatswain's  face  when  he  walked 
aft,  and  reported  himself  to  the  officer  of  the  watch,  who,  after  assuring  himself  that  it 
was  actually  Thompson,  and  not  a  Chinese,  went  below  and  informed  the  captain. 
Jerry  looked  round  at  the  crew  who  were  bringing  aft  the  sand  and  holy  stones  pre- 
paratory to  washing  decks,  but  none  of  them  recognized  him ;  however,  upon  seeing 
one  of  the  boys  attempt  to  screw  on  a  hose  without  the  necessary  implement,  he  cried, 
"  You  boy  Arnold,  get  a  spanner." 

"  Who  are  you  a  calling  boy  Arnold  ?  "  replied  the  youth. 

At  that  moment  the  officer  of  the  watch  returned  with  orders  for  Mr.  Thompson  to 
go  below  to  the  captain's  cabin,  but  when  the  disguised  warrant-officer  presented  him- 
self at  the  door,  the  sentry  at  first  refused  to  let  him  pass  ;  however,  the  captain  hearing 
the  altercation,  came  to  his  assistance. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Thompson,  I'm  exceedingly  glad  to  see  you  back  safe.  Your  disguise 
is  perfect.  I  can  only  see  in  you  the  Chinaman  who  came  on  board  at  Foo-choo." 

"  I'm  real  proud  to  see  you  agin,  sir  ;  real  proud,  sir.  I  thought  once  or  twice  it 
was  a  gooser — beg  yer  pardon,  all  over  with  me,  sir." 

"  How  did  you  get  through  ?     Have  you  posted  all  the  proclamations  ?  " 

"  Every  one  of  'em,  sir.  The  last  I  slipped  into  old  Yeh's  backker-pouch.  They 
hauled  me  up  to  carry  specey,  and  I  took  the  opportunity  when  he  was  a  giving  the 
supers  fits,  to  drop  my  last  paper  into  his  pouch.  He  must  find  it  when  he  goes  to  take 
a  draw  at  his  pipe." 

The  captain  laughed  at  the  account  of  his  warrant-officer's  adventures  which  fol- 
lowed, and  having  lavished  many  encomiums  upon  his  daring  and  ability,  dismissed 
Mr.  Thompson  to  take  a  bath  and  rest  as  long  as  he  felt  inclined.  As  he  left  the  cabin, 
Jerry  stopped  at  the  door,  and  after  fidgetting  about  for  a  few  moments,  walked  back 
to  the  place  where  Captain  Woodward  was  seated,  and  begging  he  would  excuse  him 
for  the  liberty  he  was  taking,  asked  if  the  captain  had  not  such  a  thing  as  a  wig  among 
his  baggage. 

Woodward  laughed  when  he  heard  the  request,  biit  upon  sending  for  his  ser- 
vant, the  required  article  was  procured,  and  proved  to  be  a  theatrical  wig  of 
brilliant  red  hue,  which  the  captain  had  once  purchased  for  some  amateur  performance, 
and  which  had  remained  unheeded  by  him  in  his  wardrobe  ever  since. 


184  BLUE   JACKETS  J    OK,    THE   ADVENTUKiiS   OF 

"  You  can  take  that  and  welcome,  Mr.  Thompson,  but  don't  you  think  it  will  look 
rather  odd  ?  " 

"Well,  sir,  I'm  used  to  old  wigs.  When  I  were  on  the  stage  I  wore  almost  any- 
thing, and  this  is  a  star's  wig,  an'  no  mistake.  It's  as  nateral  as  life." 

"Very  well,"  replied  the  captain  with  a  shrug.  "After  having  sacrificed  your 
growing  crop  for  your  country's  good,  I  will  allow  you  to  wear  even  that  wig,  but 
shall  order  a  darker  one  from  Hong-Kong  for  jrou.  I  don't  think  that  suits  your 
complexion." 

"  Maybe  it  don't,  sir,  but  it's  a  wig.  I've  a  horror  of  being  regarded  as  a  Chinese  by 
the  men  forward." 

Mr.  Thompson  having  secured  the  glowing  head-dress,  proceeded  to  his  cabin,  where 
he  had  not  been  long  ensconced  before  Tom  Clare  found  him  out.  Instead  of  going  to 
sleep,  after  he  had  taken  a  bath  and  dressed  himself  once  more  in  his  warrant-officer's 
uniform,  Thompson  proceeded  to  give  his  friend  a  full  account  of  his  adventures  when 
acting  as  bill-sticker  in  Canton. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Thompson,  your  mother  says  you're  a  genius,  and  she  spoke  true.  How 
you  could  find  courage  enough  to  enter  that  ere  city  beats  me." 

"  It  wasn't  courage." 

"  No  ?  " 

"  It  was  cheek- — cheek,  old  friend,  an  article  wot  will  carry  a  feller  a  deal  further 
than  genuwine  courage.  I  don't  say  I'm  afraid  of  much,  but  it  wern't  bravery  as  led 
me  on, — it  were  cheek.  Why,  I  consider  my  slipping  that  last  proklemation  into  old 
Yeh's  bakker-pouch  the  werry  axme  of  cheek.  I  must  ask  the  new  paymaster  to  strike 
off  a  pictur  of  that.  Old  Yeh  was  a-blowing  up  his  fellers  like  one  o'clock,  when 
sudden  he  backs  upon  me,  and  pointing  to  a  pile  of  stuff  says,  '  You  fools,  you  duffers 
you  thick-headed  swine,  that's  not  treasure,  that's  only  make-believe  silver ;  leave  that 
in  the  treasury,  you  geese.'  As  he  screamed  this  out,  his  bakker-pouch  bobbed  \ip  agin 
me,  and  I  slipped  the  proklemation  into  it." 

"  But  didn't  you  feel  afraid  ?  " 

"  Not  much.  I  felt  as  if  it  were  the  gayest  game  in  the  world ;  the  only  drawback 
on  it  was  my  being  a  scavenger.  All  the  people  bullied  me  to  carry  their  rubbish ; 
•which  not  being  my  little  game,  I  were  somewhat  puzzled  to  refuse  them  ;  but  I  felt 
glad  when  I  got  safe  aboard  agin,  I  can  tell  ye." 

"  I  began  to  think  you  were  never  a-coming  back.  Three  days  away,  and  no  signs  of 
you  when  I  turned  in  last  night." 

"  By  the  way,  Tom,  it's  Christmas-day.     Don't  you  know  it  ?  " 

"  Captain's  compliments  to  Mr.  Thompson,  and  will  he  dine  with  him  this  evening 
at  six  o'clock  ?  "  said  a  voice  outside  the  door. 

"  My  respects  to  Captain  Woodward,  and  I  am  werry  much  honoured  by  the  inwite, 
and  accept  it  with  thanks,"  promptly  replied  the  acting  boatswain. 

"  Now  you  turn  in,  Jerry,  and  have  a  real  good  sleep,  Why,  what  is  that  ?  "  said 
Tom,  as  his  eye  fell  upon  the  bearing-pole  which  Thompson  had  brought  on  board  with 
him. 

"That's  my  pole  wot  I  carried  my  buckets  slung  from." 

"  How  did  you  get  that  rig,  Jer — Mr.  Thompson  ?  " 

"Blow  your  politeness,  Tom.  When  we're  off  duty  "call  me  Jerry.  Mr.  is  a  deal 
too  civil.  Well,  old  man,  I  were  told  to  get  a  disguise,  so  I  took  the  Chinese  bum-boat, 
— old  Chumpee's, — landed  at  the  place  where  the  scavengers  shoot  their  rubbish  into 
the  tanks  ready  for  floating  down  the  river,  and  watched  until  I  saw  a  feller  all  by  him- 
self. Well,  having  singled  out  my  man,  I  grabbed  hold  of  him,  and  when  the  bum- 


.1.    THOMPSON.    A.    U.,    AMONCJ     "TIIK    HKATII  KN    CHINEE."  185 

boat  fellers  had  secured  him,  stripped  off  his  clothes,  put  on  a  pair  of  old  pants,  and 
gave  him  in  charge  of  Chumpee,  -who  has  him  all  right  now,  stowed  away  under  the 
bottom  boards  of  his  boat.  Well,  I  secured  his  pails,  stick,  and  clothes,  besides  his 
pass,  which  was  what  I  pertickler  wanted,  then  come  aboard  and  got  my  head  shaved, 
arter  which  I  went  on  shore  in  a  sampan." 

"  Well,  now  go  to  sleep,  Jerry ;  I'll  wake  you  at  eight  bells  in  the  afternoon  watch." 

Six  o'clock  arrived,  and  Mr.  Thompson  upon  hearing  the  dinner  bugle,  marched  aft 
in  company  with  the  gunner  and  carpenter,  who  were  both  well-educated  men,  and  his 
very  good  friends.  When  they  arrived  at  the  cabin  door,  they  wore  duly  announced  by 
the  steward  ;  and,  to  the  delight  of  the  captain,  the  acting  boatswain  not  only  appeared 
in  his  red  wig,  but  had  painted  eyebrows  to  correspond,  his  own  having  been  shaven 
off,  to  complete  his  disguise  when  he  visited  the  city.  The  operation  was  well  done, 
but  the  effect  was  to  give  his  face  a  slightly  intoxicated  appearance. 

"  Good-evening,  gentlemen,''  exclaimed  the  commander.  "  Help  yourselves  to 
bitters." 

In  a  short  time  the  various  officers  invited  upon  the  occasion  made  their  appearance, 
and,  to, their  surprise,  found  the  acting  boatswain  not  only  well  behaved,  but  positively 
au-fait  in  the  courtesies  of  the  table ;  and  after  the  novelty  of  his  wig  and  eyebrows 
"wore  off  a  little,  they  took  wine  with  him  as  gravely  as  with  the  others.  It  was  a  proud 
moment  for  Mr.  Thompson  when  the  captain  challenged  him,  and  he  felt  he  was  some 
one  of  importance,  and  half  resented  a  kindly  hint  from  the  carpenter  "  not  to  empty 
his  glass  at  every  toast,"  particularly  as  that  gentleman  prefaced  the  remark  by  the 
familiar  term  "  Jerry."  The  roast  beef  and  turkey  were  splendid,  the  plum-pudding 
first  rate,  the  champagne  delicious,  and  everything  grand,  dazzling,  and  magnificent  in 
the  eyes  of  the  acting  warrant-officer.  "  Ain't  it  like  a  banquet  in  a  play  ?"  he  whis- 
pered to  the  gunner.  "  I  can't  believe  it's  real." 

When  dinner  was  over,  the  party  adjourned  to  the  upper  deck,  and  the  delighted 
fellow  was  again  reminded  of  his  new  position,  by  the  captain  offering  him  a  cigar. 
"  Drink  bitters  with  the  captain  ;  dine  in  the  cabin  :  ax  me  to  take  wine  with  him,  and 
now  offers  me  a  cigar  to  smoke  on  the  quarter-deck.  I  must  go  aft  and  find  out  if  it 
ain't  all  :\  dream,"  thought  he.  Finding,  when  he  got  aft,  that  he  was  not  dreaming, 
his  test  being  a  question  to  Tom  Clare,  who  was  getting  some  boat's  gear  out  of  a  locker 
abaft,  Jerry  proceeded  to  smoke  his  cigar,  surrounded  by  those  who,  a  few  months  ago, 
he  thought  as  far  above  him  as  the  masts  from  the  deck.  From  that  day  Thompson 
became  a  more  reserved  man.  He  still  retained  his  friendship  for  Clare,  but  held  the 
crew  at  a  distance ;  and  while  always  ready  to  oblige  any  of  them  off  duty,  treated 
them  like  men  when  on  service,  considering  his  position  required  a  certain  amount  of 
respect  from  them,  and  consequently  did  not  allow  his  former  shipmates  to  take  advan- 
tage of  him.  But  the  wig  !  When  he  appeared  on  duty  in  it  the  day  after,  it  created 
such  a  sensation  among  the  men,  that  Woodward  was  obliged  to  send  for  the  doctor, 
and  consult  with  him  as  to  the  means  of  getting  the  acting  boatswain  to  take  it  off. 
Wherever  he  went  the  eyes  of  the  crew  were  upon  him,  and  the  Stingers  virtually 
knocked  off  work  to  stare  at  Thompson's  head. 

"  Did  you  ever  see  sich  a  fee-nomer-nile  ?  "  observed  the  captain  of  the  foretop.  "  Vy, 
it's  a  regler  red-hot  swab.  Did  he  go  ashore  to  av  his  edd  dyed  ?  " 

"  No ;  he's  got  a  wig  on,  can't  ye  see  ?  It's  the  capting's  wig,  wot  the  steward  airs 
sometimes.  It's  a  theatre  wig." 

"  Pshaw  !  Do  you  think  the  captain  is  agoin'  to  lend  the  acting  bosun  his  'ed  dress 
Besides,  whoever  heerd  of  a  captain  in  the  Rile  Navy  wearin'  a  red  wig  ?  " 

These  and  similar  observations  caused  the  commander  to  seek  the  advice  of  the  little 


186  BLUE   JACKETS  ;     OK,    THE    ADVENTURES    OF 

surgeon,  who  thereupon  sent  for  Mr.  Thompson,  and  after  a  few  preliminary  remarks 
asked  him  why  he  wore  a  wig. 

"  "Well,  you  see.  sir,  I  don't  like  looking  like  a  Chinaman  on  duty ;  and  as  the  cap- 
tain has  been  good  enough  to  lend  me  this,  I  wear  it  until  I  can  get  one  more  suited  to 
me." 

"  That's  right  enough,  but  it  is  a  very  poisonous  colour,  and  will  ruin  the  growth  of 
your  hair.  It  would  be  a  thousand  pities  to  spoil  that — " 

Mr.  Thompson  looked  at  the  doctor  for  a  moment,  but  as  no  smile  illuminated  his 
fat-e,  Jerry  concluded  he  WHS  serious  in  his  advice. 

"  But  is  it  pisonous  to  wear  for  a  few  hours  every  day  ?  " 

"  Deadly.  I  can  show  you  the  picture  of  a  case,  if  you  like  to  step  down  to  my 
surgery." 

"  No  thankee,  sir ;  I  don't  like  that  place,  with  all  politeness  to  you.  I'll  just  take 
this  wig  back  to  the  steward,  as  I  don't  care  to  pison  my  hair." 

Mr.  Thompson  accordingly  doffed  his  conspicuous  adornment,  and  went  about  his 
duty  with  his  uniform  cap  pulled  tightly  over  his  forehead,  which  gave  him  the  appear- 
ance of  having  been  bonneted. 

The  mail  arrived  that  evening,  and  to  his  astonishment,  Jerry  received  the  following 
mysterious  communication : 

"  She  who  arth  fix  her  art  on  the 
Wil  alway  tinder  proav 
Wil  dreme  of  yew  by  day  or  nite 
An  treasure  up  your  lov 
Think  not  tho  ragin  sees  do  part 
She  wil  beleaf  your  not  untro 
Sheal  wayt  for  the  in  spit  of  hawl 
Not  dew  as  others  dew." 

"  No  name.  No  date.  Portsmouth  postmark.  This  is  a  rewiwer  from  Mary  Ann," 
cried  Thompson.  "  Well,  if  she  waits  until  I  get  home,  she'll  have  a  warrant-officer  in- 
stead of  an  able  seaman  for  a  husband.  But  I  ain't  pleased  with  her  going  into  poetrv  ; 
besides,  she  don't  mention  my  name.  However,  I'll  write  her  a  line  by  way  of  reply," 
saying  which  he  proceeded  to  scrawl  off  the  following : 

"  Dear  Mary  Ann,  I've  got  your  poe-try  ; 
Keep  up  your  pluck  and  dry  your  eye  ; 
I'll  anchor  alongside  you  by-and-by." 

This  elegant  effusion  he  addressed — 

Miss  MARY  ANN  Ross, 

Care  of  MBS.  SHEVER, 

Portsmouth, 

And  having  posted  it,  turned  his  attention  to  official  matters,  and  thought  no  more  of 
his  old  flame. 

Mrs.  Shever,  having  written  the  stanzas,  which  Thompson  supposed  came  from  her 
sister,  did  not  scruple  to  appropriate  the  reply  to  herself;  so  Mary  Ann  never  received 
this  last  love-offering  from  her  old  admirer,  who  was  still  in  blissful  ignorance  of  her 
being  "  his  no  more." 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    Ji.,    AMONG    "  THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE/' 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

A  few  days  before  the  combined  attack  of  the  allied  forces  upon  Canton,  the 
immense  floating  population  moored  off  that  city  began  to  move  towards  Chow- 
chan.  Boat  by  boat  disappeared,  until  only  a  few  sampans,  manned  by  the  most 
daring  thieves  on  the  river,  remained,  and  these  had  a  pretty  lively  time  of  it,  as  the 
sentries  on  board  the  war-ships  would  fire  at  them  whenever  they  approached  within  a 
•ertain  distance  of  those  vessels.  It  seemed  strange  that  those  who  had  the  best  oppor- 
tunity of  judging  what  the  western  barbarians  could  do  were  the  last  to  abandon  their 
positions,  the  water  population  having  been  warned  to  leave  ten  days  before. 
Mr.  Thompson  performed  his  celebrated  feat  of  "bill-sticking  under  difficulties,"  yet  it 
was  not  until  the  Cantonese  came  swarming  out  of  the  city  that  those  who  lived  along; 
the  water's  edge  began  to  move  their  property  out  of  the  way  of  the  barbarian's  guns. 

Yeh  took  matters  very  coolly,  and  seemed  quite  indifferent  to  the  imposing  force 
brought  against  him,  so  the  watermen,  who  were  a  bold  insolent  set,  composed  of  the 
dregs  of  the  population,  imagined  he  was  right  in  his  assertion,  that  the  Fanquis  would 
only  talk  and  not  fight ;  but  the  exodus  of  the  merchants  opened  their  eyes,  and  as  all 
of  them  wanted  to  get  under  weigh  at  the  same  time,  the  waterside  presented  a  more 
animated  appearance  than  usual.  Many  of  the  merchants  who  owned  wooden  stores 
built  upon  piles  near  the  water's  edge,  had  tanks  placed  under  those  edifices  at  low  tide, 
so  that  as  the  water  rose  it  lifted  the  buildings  clear,  and  huge  stores  were  thus  floated 
off,  and  towed  away  to  a  place  o*  safety,  in  company  with  theatres,  flower  boats,  restau- 
rants, and  the  hundred  and  one  other  kinds  of  boats  then  common  upon  the  river. 

At  one  point  so  many  houses  were  thus  removed,  that  the  outer  wall  of  the  city, 
usually  hidden  by  a  mass  of  buildings,  was  entirely  exposed,  offering  a  splendid  target 
for  the  guns  of  H.  M.  »S.  Ruff,  which  was  moored  immediately  opposite. 

Canton  is  situated  upon  the  river  of  that  name,  and  opposite  to  the  city  is  the  Island 
of  Hon:m,  which,  with  other  similar  islands,  divide  the  river  into  two  parts — one  to  the 
left,  running  down  towards  Wampoa,  and  the  other  to  the  right,  which  flows  past 
Chow-chan  creek  ;  these  unite  before  they  reach  the  Bocca  Tigris,  and  both  branches  or 
sides  are,  in  common,  called  the  Canton  River. 

The  Stinger  was  moored  at  the  head  of  the  left  passage,  while  till  along  the  front  of 
the  city  French  and  Ensrlish  war-ships  were  anchored,  each  taking  up  its  position  ;us  it 
nrrived  from  Hong-Kong,  without  regard  to  nationality,  the  only  care  being  to  place 
the  ships  which  drew  most  water  where  they  could  not  well  get  on  shore  upon  the 
numerous  mud-baiiks  with  which  the  river  abounded.  About  midway  in  the  liiu-  of 
ships  was  a  small  island,  where  a  fortification  had  formerly  existed,  but  tho  year  bcfurr, 
when  the  river  was  held  by  the  foreigners,  they  had  token  this  fort,  and  turned  its  guns, 
against  the  city.  Upon  their  withdrawal.  Yeh  ordered  the  walls  to  be  destroyed. 

When  the  allied  forces  came  to  anchor  off  the  city,  the  sailors  again  took  possession 
of  the  island,  and  built,  a  crows'-nest.  or  observatory,  in  a  tree  growing  amid  the  ruins  ; 
from  which  lofty  position  the  flags  of  the  allies,  side  by  side,  waved  defiance  to  Governor 
Yeh.  At  the  same  time  the  sailors  cleared  away  the  rubbish,  and  built  a  mortar 
batterv  in  the  centre  of  the  island,  from  which  shot  and  shell  could  be  thrown  as  far  as 
the  outer  wall  at  the  back  of  the  city. 


188  BLUE  JACKETS  ;  OK,  THE  ADVENTURES  OK 

The  Island  of  Honan  was  partly  in  possession  of  the  allied  troops,  there  not  being  room 
enough  for  them  on  board  the  ships ;  the  celebrated  Buddhist  temple  was  occupied  as 
their  head-quarters ;  and  holy  pigs,  which  could  scarcely  grunt — so  fat  were  they — 
•consecrated  storks,  and  sacred  gold  fish,  were  ignoniiniously  knocked  upon  the  head 
and  converted  into  chowder  by  the  sacrilegious  invaders.  In  vain  the  shaven-headed 
bonzes  protested,  and  offered  to  procure  good  food,  if  they  would  only  spare  their 
respected  swine  and  other  live  stock  ;  it  was  all  without  avail,  and,  in  spite  of  fearful 
predictions  as  to  the  consequences  which  would  ensue  if  they  devoured  the  sacred 
grunters,  the  soldiers  made  many  a  hearty  meal  off  their  flesh.  Possibly,  had  thev 
known  the  Chinese  language,  the  warnings  of  the  bonzes  would  have  somewhat  affected 
them  ;  but,  as  it  was,  they  only  patted  the  complainants  on  the  back  or  kicked  them  out 
of  their  quarters,  as  fancy  suggested. 

The  night  before  the  attack  a  number  of  gun-boats  arrived  from  Hong-Kong,  and 
the  allied  forces  became  aware  that  at  daybreak  the  bombardment  was  to  commence. 
•Considering  the  power  of  the  invading  force,  Yeh  took  matters  very  philosophically, 
contenting  himself  with  sending  off  a  flag  of  truce  at  the  last  moment,  and  ordering  the 
western  barbarians  "  to  leave  the  waters  of  Kwan-tung  forthwith,"  under  pain  of 
immediate  expulsion;  to  which  amusing  notice  the  allied  cornmanders-in -chief  replied 
"by  politely  informing  him  that,  as  all  hope  of  making  terms  was  given  up,  they  should 
proceed  to  bombard  his  palace  at  daybreak  the  next  morning. 

His  wonderful  indifference  made  the  opposing  forces  imagine  he  had  received  large 
reinforcements  since  their  last  spies  visited  the  city,  little  thinking  that  any  person 
would  show  such  composure,  if  he  knei»  it  was  impossible  to  hold  his  ground.  Yeh  was 
completely  blinded  by  egotism,  and  probably  none  of  his  mandarins  dared  to  tell  him 
exactly  how  matters  stood ;  therefore,  when  Ho-qua  and  other  merchants  had  urged 
him  to  make  terms,  he  merely  regarded  their  fears  as  mercantile  ones,  and  treated  them 
accordingly.  Besides,  they  were  Chinese,  not  Tartars ;  they  only  had  peddling  ideas 
of  trade  and  loss  of  goods ;  whereas,  he  was  a  Tartar,  who  delighted  in  bloodshed,  and 
knew  if  he  were  defeated,  or  if  he  yielded,  it  was  all  \ip  with  him  at  Pekin,  so 
determined  to  stay  where  he  was  until  everything  went  against  him,  and  then — run 
away,  as  many  a  Tartar  had  done  before. 

At  twelve  o'clock  that  night  Canton  was  as  quiet  as  usual.  True,  the  look-out  men 
perched  up  in  the  sentry-boxes  built  all  along  the  walls,  kept  up  a  furious  din  with 
their  bamboo  rattles,  to  show  they  were  awake  and  to  frighten  foul  spirits  away ;  and 
the  ordinary  watchmen  made  night  hideous  with  their  shrill  cries.  However,  their 
noises  only  occurred  at  intervals,  and  beyond  that  Canton  was  as  silent  as  Pompeii,  the 
streets  being  deserted,  and  not  a  soul  abroad  who  was  not  on  military  duty. 

Yeh  slumbered  until  an  hour  before  daybreak,  when  he  arose  and  held  a  consultation 
with  his  officers.  At  that  time  the  city  was  hidden  in  a  light  fog,  and  it  was  imagined 
the  western  barbarians  would  delay  their  attack  until  sunrise,  but  to  the  governor's 
astonishment,  as  he  was  speaking,  a  shell  came  crashing  into  his  ya-muu,  and  burst  in 
the  court-yard  near  the  room  in  which  they  were  assembled.  Hearing  the  explosion, 
he  dismissed  his  officers,  ordering  them,  as  they  valued  their  heads,  to  hold  the  walls 
till  the  last  moment ;  and  then  that  learned  scholar,  great  warrior,  and  plucky  Tartar 
went  into  an  inner  apartment,  and,  ostrich-like,  hid  himself  under  a  pile  of  cotton 
bags. 

The  mortar-battery  commenced  the  attack,  and  at  the  same  moment  a  signal  was 
hoisted  on  the  crows'-nest  of  the  fort.  In  a  moment  bang,  bang  went  the  guns  of  the 
various  ships,  and  away  tore  hundreds  of  missiles  irto  Canton.  Yeh's  ya-mun  was  the 
principal  object  of  attack  at  first,  and  the  whole  line  of  ships  directed  their  guns  upon 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  li.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."     189 

that  spot.  Not  a  shot  was  fired  by  the  Chinese  in  return,  and  their  enemies  had  it  all 
their  own  way.  For  several  hours  they  continued  firing  with  great  precision,  and  in 
many  places  the  outer  wall  was  badly  battered,  large  masses  of  it  falling  into  the  streets 
underneath,  and  completely  filling  them  with  rubbish. 

About  noon,  the  city  being  fired  in  many  places  by  the  shower  of  shell-rocket* 
thrown  in  by  the  allies,  it  was  determined  to  land  the  forces,  while  those  left  in  charge 
of  the  ships  were  directed  to  keep  up  a  steady  fire  upon  the  principal  edifices.  At  times, 
the  shot  went  flying  against  strong-looking  buildings,  which  in  a  few  minutes  would, 
as  it  were,  reel  and  topple  over  ;  while  the  rockets,  after  striking  against  some  obstruc- 
tion, would  rebound,  and  dart  at  it  again,  until  they  forced  their  way  through,  in  most 
cases  firing  the  structures  they  entered. 

After  the  naval  brigade,  composed  of  all  the  men  who  could  be  spared  from  the 
Stinger,  departed  from  that  ship,  those  left  in  charge  of  Mr.  Beauman  did  their  best  to 
damage  the  city  as  much  as  possible  by  firing  at  pagodas  and  watch-boxes,  their  exer- 
tions in  that  line  being  every  now  and  then  rewarded  by  seeing  one  of  the  objects 
incline  and  fall  to  the  ground.  The  river  thieves  reaped  a  fine  harvest,  and  looted  to 
their  heart's  content,  undisturbed  by  the  missiles  which  flew  over  their  heads,  and  ere 
night  set  in  not  one  of  them  was  left,  as  they  had  all  loaded  their  sampans  and  departed 
in  search  of  a  mart  in  which  to  dispose  of  their  plunder.  At  dusk  the  city  was  wrapped 
in  flames  from  one  end  to  the  other,  and  all  along  the  line  of  range  palaces  and  hovels 
fell  a  prey  to  the  devouring  element. 

When  the  Stingers  left  the  ship  they  were  conveyed  to  a  point  below  the  city,  where- 
the  allied  forces  were  preparing  for  the  assauMi  Here,  much  to  their  chagrin,  they 
were  ordered  to  take  charge  of  the  landing-place  ;  and  it  was  with  anything  but  satis- 
faction that  they  witnessed  the  departure  of  the  forces  selected  to  assault  the  heights. 
The  Stingers  were  not  relieved  of  their  irksome  charge  until  some  days  after,  when  they 
were  marched  into  the  city  and  quartered  in  a  ya-mun. 

Thus  how  Canton  was  taken  and  Yeh  captured  was  a  mystery  to  them ;  all  they 
knew  about  the  matter  being  that  the  wounded  were  brought  down  for  embarkation, 
and  that  Yeh  himself,  amid  the  groans  of  the  spectators,  took  boat  from  their  wharf, 
when  he  was  conveyed  on  board  ship,  preparatory  to  his  removal  to  Calcutta.  They 
heard  that  the  French,  after  having  agreed  to  assault  the  heights  at  a  certain  time, 
had,  contrary  to  agreement,  advanced  an  hour  before,  so  as  to  boast  of  entering  the  fit y 
before  their  allies, but  did  not  know  any  particulars  of  the  attack;  they  also  saw  the 
body  of  one  of  the  most  esteemed  captains  in  the  service  brought  down,  to  be  conveyed 
on  board  his  ship  ;  but  beyond  this,  and  hearing  the  guns,  they  knew  little  about  the 
affair. 

When  they  arrived  in  the  city  the  place  seemed  quiet  enough,  and  instead  of 
plundering  they  were  themselves  fleeced  by  the  inhabitants,  who  at  once  started  a 
sort  of  market,  and  charged  famine  prices  for  everything  they  sold. 

It  was,  no  doubt,  a  wise  regulation  which  forbade  the  Stingers  looting  or  plunder- 
ing, after  the  manner  of  the  French,  who  searched  everywhere,  and  not  oniv  ;ll-treated 
women  and  children,  but  often  killed  the  inhabitants,  when  they  could  not  satisfy  them 
by  producing  treasure.  There  was  not  much  exchange  of  courtesy  betwixt  the  allies, 
and,  indeed,  upon  several  occasions  the  sailors  belonging  to  the  two  nations  came  to 
open  rupture. 

Although  the  Stingers  were  strictly  forbidden  to  loot,  they  had  contrived  to  get 
hold  of  some  very  pretty  things  in  the  way  of  curiosities,  purchased  of  the  Chinese 
thieves ;  and,  doubtless,  now  and  then  articles  upon  which  it  would  puzzle  them  to 


190  BLUE  JACKETS;  OB,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

prove  payment  had  been  made ;  but  in  justice  be  it  said,  they  seldom  annoyed  the 
women,  although  they  were  not  quite  guiltless  upon  that  head. 

After  they  had  been  settled  in  their  quarters  a  few  days,  they  were  repeatedly 
annoyed  by  the  attacks  of  some  zealous  people  who  would  assemble  at  night,  and,  under 
«over  of  the  ruins  near,  fire  rockets  into  the  ya-mun.  One  evening,  as  the  captain  was 
inspecting  his  men,  a  shower  of  arrow-headed  rockets  flew  into  the  court-yard,  one  of 
them  passing  through  the  body  of  a  marine  who  was  on  duty  at  the  door,  so  that  he  died 
shortly  after  of  the  wound.  Woodward  at  once  directed  his  men  to  assault  the  quarter 
from  which  the  rockets  proceeded,  when  they  were  met  by  a  steady  fire,  killing  two 
men  and  wounding  several  others.  It  will  be  seen  from  this,  that  although  the  allied 
forces  held  Canton,  it  was  only  in  places ;  and  at  times  the  unruly  Tartar  soldiers  would 
intoxicate  themselves  with  rice  spirit,  and  attack  these  little  garrisons,  when  the  inva- 
ders would  retaliate  upon  the  peaceable  inhabitants  who  lived  near  their  quarters. 

Knowing  it  would  not  do  to  leave  the  ya-mun  unprotected  while  he  pursued  the 
attacking  party,  Woodward  sounded  a  retreat,  and  the  next  morning  at  daylight  sent 
for  assistance,  which  was  at  once  forwarded  by  the  commander-in-chief,  whereupon  they 
overhauled  every  nook  and  corner  within  a  radius  of  a  mile  from  the  ya-mun,  and 
Mr.  Thompson  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  party,  who  were  directed  to  make  a  thorough 
search  of  a  joss-house  from  which  some  of  the  rockets  had  been  fired. 

After  a  careful  hunt,  Jerry  was  about  to  recall  his  men,  when  he  heard  a  sob  pro- 
ceeding from  the  gigantic  image  of  the  god  Fo,  which  was  placed  at  the  end  of  the 
apartment  he  had  just  entered.  As  he  noticed  the  robe  thrown  over  the  shoulders  of 
the  figure  was  composed  of  new  silk  of  a  very  rich  texture,  he  advanced  to  the  god,  and 
seizing  the  drapery,  tore  it  from  its  fastenings,  when  lo !  trembling  beneath  the  bottom 
folds  he  discovered  a  girl,  a  pretty  delicate  Chinese,  about  nineteen  years  of  age,  quite 
speechless  from  fear.  The  acting  boatswain  glanced  at  her  for  a  moment  with  quivering 
lip  and  flushed  face,  the  girl  resembling  A-tae  so  strongly  as  to  startle  him. 

"  Open  your  eyes,  pretty  bird,"  he  whispered  in  Chinese,  but  the  poor  fluttering 
little  thing  resolutely  kept  them  shut. 

"  I'm  your  friend,  and  won't  hurt  you  ;  look  at  me." 

This  had  no  effect  upon  the  closely-contracted  lids,  so  Jerry  lifted  the  pretty  face  up 
to  his  own,  and  with  a  full  heart,  for  he  thought  of  his  loving  A-tae,  tenderly  and  respect- 
fully kissed  her,  upon  which  she  opened  her  eyes — such  bright  ones,  too,  they  were — 
and  after  looking  at  him  for  a  moment  half-timidly,  she  turned  her  head,  then  gave  a 
scream,  and  fainted ;  four  grinning  sailors  were  standing  in  the  doorway,  and  their 
appearance  had  caused  her  to  faint  from  apprehension. 

Mr.  Thompson  walked  round  to  the  back  of  the  joss,  opened  a  door  (all  of  them  are 
hollow,  and  have  receptacles  in  the  back),  and  gently  depositing  her  inside,  closed  it, 
then  turning  round,  ordered  the  sailors  to  quit  the  joss-house. 

Now,  the  men  were  new  hands  who  had  lately  joined  the  Stinger,  and  therefore  did 
not  know  the  temperament  of  the  acting-warrant  officer ;  besides,  they  were  partlv 
intoxicated,  having  discovered  some  rice  spirit  in  one  of  the  apartments,  of  which 
liquor  they  had  partaken  very  freely.  They  advanced  towards  Jerry,  evidently  bent 
upon  dragging  the  girl  out  of  her  hiding-place  in  spite  of  his  orders. 

Thompson  placed  his  back  against  the  door  of  the  joss,  and  drawing  his  revolver, 
ordered  the  brutes  out  of  the  place. 

"We  wants  that  gal,  and  we  means  to  have  her.  We  chivied  her  here:  she's  WIT 
game,"  sulkily  observed  the  ringleader. 

"  Yes.  and  we  don't  mean  to  give  her  up,  in  spite  of  yoii,"  chorussed  the  others. 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."     191 

"  111  give  you  three  minutes  to  clear  out,  arter  which  Til  shoot  the  first  man  as 
moves,"  quietly  replied  the  determined  defender. 

Hearing  this,  one  of  the  men  advanced  as  if  to  attack  Jerry  with  his  cutlass,  when 
crack  went  the  pistol,  and  the  bully  fell  headlong  at  the  feet  of  the  brave  fellow  who 
had  thus  risked  his  life  to  defend  a  girl  from  worse  than  death.  Upon  seeing  one  of 
their  number  fall,  the  others  made  their  escape,  and  Thompson,  turning  to  the  joss, 
opened  the  door,  and  assisted  the  trembling  girl  out  of  the  building.  When  they  had 
proceeded  a  few  yards,  she  pointed  to  a  door  in  a  wall,  saying,  "  That  is  my  way  ;  " 
then,  chin-chinning  him,  was  about  to  depart,  when  he  caught  her  by  the  hand,  and 
begged  she  would  give  him  a  small  token  of  remembrance,  at  the  same  time  pointing 
to  a  little  image  of  Fo,  worn  instead  of  a  button  to  fasten  her  jacket.  Hastily  tearing 
the  same  from  her  garment,  she  pressed  it  into  his  hand,  and  in  another  moment  was 
out  of  sight. 

Returning  to  the  joss-house,  Thompson  found  the  bully  sitting  up,  and  complaining 
of  a  pain  in  his  shoulder,  upon  hearing  which  he  ordered  him  "  to  get  up,"  and  on  arrival 
at  the  ya-mun  took  him  to  the  doctor,  who  dressed  the  man's  wound  before  he  was 
placed  under  arrest.  When  the  matter  was  reported  to  the  captain,  he  ordered  the 
other  men  to  be  put  in  irons  and  conveyed  on  board,  where  they  were  kept  in  confine- 
ment, until  the  ship  arrived  in  Hong-Kong, 

Mr.  Thompson  received  many  compliments  for  the  gallantry  he  displayed  upon  this 
occasion  ;  but  his  only  reply  was,  "  Now,  do  you  think  any  man  could  ha'  done  other- 
wise ?  "  He  evidently  thought  very  little  about  the  service  he  had  rendered  the  poor 
child,  while  she  never  forgot  the  good  Fanqui  who  saved  her  from  the  fiends,  who 
would  have  eaten  her. 

There  was  little  to  be  seen  in  the  city  beyond  the  Chamber  of  Horrors  and  some 
very  ancient  buildings.  In  the  former  place  a  number  of  plaster  groups,  painted  to 
resemble  life,  were  ranged  round  the  three  sides  of  a  chamber.  Sawing  men  in  halves, 
boiling  in  oil,  impaling,  breaking  upon  the  wheel,  decapitation,  and  many  other  horrible 
methods  of  putting  criminals  to  death,  were  here  represented  with  life-like  fidelity  ; 
but  no  one  cared  to  visit  the  place  twice,  although  strangers  were  always  taken  there, 
as  to  a  unique  exhibition,  which  probably  it  was.  Canton  was  comparatively  deserted, 
and  in  many  places  in  ruins,  so  the  Stingers  found  their  residence  there  rather  dull 
work,  after  all. 

When  the  city  was  first  taken  a  provost-marshal  was  appointed,  whose  duty  it  was 
to  arrest  and  flog  every  straggler  he  found  when  going  his  rounds ;  and  as  soldiers  and 
sailors  always  will  get  astray  more  or  less,  that  functionary  often  had  his  hands  full. 
Sometimes  he  did  not  confine  his  operations  to  the  Army  and  Navy,  and  on  one  or  two 
occasions  the  sutlers  fared  rather  badly  at  his  hands,  for  which  he  was  duly  shown  up 
in  the  "  Hong-Kong  Gong,"  a  rival  of  that  excellent  newspaper,  "  The  Friendly 
Shiner." 

About  the  latter  end  of  June  the  Stingers  received  orders  to  get  ready  to  embark  on 
board  their  ship,  preparatory  to  leaving  for  Hong-Kong,  and  every  one  anxiously 
awaited  the  definite  order  to  leave  the  ya-mun,  when  one  morning  three  dirty-looking 
bonzes  appeared  at  the  outer  gate,  and  humbly  begered  to  be  allowed  an  interview  with 
the  captain.  Upon  being  shown  into  his  presence,  one  of  their  number  pulled  forth  a 
letter,  or  order,  addressed  to  Captain  Woodward,  and  signed  by  the  commander-in-chief 
of  the  naval  forces,  which  ran  thus : — 

"  SIR, — You  are  hereby  directed  to  allow  the  three  Chinese  bonzes,  who  will  hand 
you  this,  to  pack  up  and  take  away  all  their  property,  which  they  may  find  left  in  the 
email  Buddhist  chapel  situated  in  the  grounds  near  the  left  wing  of  your  ya-mun." 


192  BLUE   JACKETS  J    OK,   THE   ADVENTURES   OF 

Upon  reading  this  Captain  Woodward  sent  for  the  first  lieutenant,  and  asked  him 
if  he  knew  the  building,  and  to  what  purpose  it  had  been  devoted.  Also  if  any  of  the 
articles  found  in  it  remained.  Upon  which  Lieutenant  Russell,  in  his  usual  florid 
manner,  politely  informed  his  senior  that,  beyond  its  being  used  as  a  skittle  alley,  to 
the  best  of  his  belief  it  was  unoccupied  ;  and  as  to  the  images,  &c.,  probably  they  were 
there  still. 

''  Let  these  men  take  all  they  want,  and  carry  it  away." 

Hearing  this  speech,  one  of  the  bonzes,  who  spoke  very  fair  Pigeon-English,  re- 
quested permission  for  their  porters  to  be  admitted  into  the  ya-mun,  which  was 
granted,  and  Mr.  Thompson  directed  to  see  they  took  all  they  wanted ;  whereupon 
he  formed  a  procession,  heading  it  himself,  and  marched  towards  the  little  joss- 
house,  followed  by  the  demure,  mild-eyed  bonzes,  and  about  thirty  carriers,  who 
bore  short  bamboo  ladders,  he  thinking  all  the  time  how  foolish  the  Buddhists  must 
be  to  imagine  there  was  anything  left  that  was  worth  carrying  off. 

Upon  arriving  at  the  door  of  the  temple,  the  bonzes  knelt,  prostrated  themselves, 
burnt  three  sticks  of  joss-stick,  and  repeated  "  o-mi-tu-fuh"  for  about  a  quarter  of 
an  hour,  during  which  time  the  acting  boatswain  indulged  in  a  pipe  or  joined  in 
the  chorus,  as  fancy  led  him  ;  while  the  irreverent  bearers  squatted  upon  the  ground, 
and  expressed  a  wish  that  the  bonzes  would  hurry,  as  they  did  not  like  being  so  close 
to  the  "  foreign  devils." 

When  the  "  o-mis  "  were  over,  the  most  elderly  bonze  assumed  a  business  air  ;  and  . 
directing  the  doors  to  be  opened,  ordered  the  bearers  to  bring  in  their  ladders,  which 
the  three  mild-eyed  ones  proceeded  to  lash  together  in  a  most  artistic  manner.  Acro- 
bats could  not  have  done  it  better  than  did  those  meek  individuals,  who  lashed,  and 
chanted  "  o-mi-tu-fuh,"  until  they  had  put  together  a  set  of  ladders  ;  which  upon  being- 
elevated  reached  to  the  highest  rafters  of  the  joss-house.  When  all  was  ready,  the  old 
boy  of  the  party  stripped  off  his  loose  jacket,  and  springing  up  the  ladder  was  soon  lost 
in  the  "  dim  religious  gloom"  overhead.  Mr.  Thompson  looked  on  with  a  critical  eye, 
and  observed  to  a  royal  marine,  who  had  wandered  into  the  place,  that  he  began  to 
think  that  the  old  "  bronzes  "  knowed  what  they  was  up  to. 

After  a  short  time,  during  which  the  bonze  up  aloft  had  several  times  hailed  his 
friends  below  to  "look-out  and  stand  from  under,"  down  came  bundles  of  rich  fur 
dresses,  worth  ever  so  many  hundred  dollars,  then  bales  of  silks,  and  at  last  bars  of 
silver.  Jerry  looked  at  the  bonzes,  and  then  at  the  permit,  but  finding  that  correct 
allowed  them  to  proceed,  when  in  a  short  time  the  old  man  up  aloft  announced,  Avith  a 
grunt,  that  the  place  was  cleared,  after  which  he  scrambled  down  the  ladder,  and  as- 
sisted his  companions  to  pack  their  property. 

Having  unrolled  the  fur  dresses,  they  placed  several  bars  of  silver  in  each,  then 
binding  them  up  tightly,  rapidly  loaded  the  bearers,  who  seemed  to  take  the  proceed- 
ing very  coolly,  as  though  it  were  an  every-day  occurrence  with  them.  When  the  last 
bale  was  packed,  the  elderly  bonze  turned  to  Mr.  Thompson,  and  asked  him  how  much 
he  would  give  him  for  the  ladders  ? 

"  A  kick,"  replied  the  chagrined  acting  boatswain  ;  adding,  "  Come,  clear  out,  old 
myty-few.  You're  a  smart  old  dodger,  you  are  !  " 

"  Fo ! "  exclaimed  the  imperturbable  old  -fellow.  "  He  won't  offer  a  sapeck.  Well, 
I'll  send  for  them  to-morrow,  chin-chin  ; "  saying  which  the  old  boy  saluted  Mr.  Thomp- 
son, and  trotted  off  after  his  companions,  without  bestowing  a  single  glance  at  the 
prostrate  forms  of  several  small  gods,  which  the  sailors  had  been  using  instead  of  pins 
when  they  played  skittles. 

"  Done,  by  Jove !  Hundreds  of  pounds  of  prize  money  swept  clean  out  of  our  pockets." 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      193 

cried  the  enraged  Jerry,  "  and  we  a  gaping  up  with  it  almost  in  sight  all  the  time. 
Pshaw,  we  ain't  half  as  smart  as  them  old  bronzes,  with  all  our  cleverness.  I'll  back 
one  of  'em.  agin  two  lawyers  any  day." 

Loud  were  the  growls  of  the  men  at  what  they  termed  their  bad  luck,  but  when 
Woodward  heard  of  the  affair,  he  only  laughed,  and  declared  the  old  fellows  deserved 
all  they  got,  for  their  coolness  and  sagacity. 

That  evening  the  mail  arrived,  and  the  captain  received  orders  to  embark  his  men 
at  daylight ;  but  long  before  that  hour  the  Stingers  were  stirring.  As  they  left  the 
city  they  received  a  perfect  ovation  at  every  post  they  passed.  "  Going  Jurme,  my  boys  ! 
G-oing  home  !  "  Happy  fellows  !  how  proudly  they  marched  along  the  narrow  streets 
which  had  been  the  scenes  of  many  incidents,  both  sad  and  amusing ;  past  heaps  oi 
ruins  caused  by  the  shot  from  their  guns ;  by  Tartar  guard  houses,  and  dead  walls, 
bearing  still  the  proclamations  so  daringly  posted  by  the  acting  boatswain, — with  the 
fiddler  scraping  away  at  "  Cheer,  boys,  Cheer,"  to  which  tune  their  happy  voices  joined 
in  chorus.  The  first  step  from  the  ya-mun  was  one  nearer  home,  and  all  of  them  felt 
delighted  to  think  that  in  a  few  months  they  would  see  the  faces  of  those  who  held 
them  most  dear.  Tom  Clare  marched  by  the  side  of  Mr.  Thompson,  and  a  happier  face 
than  the  former's  could  not  be  found  in  the  party. 

"  Jerry,  old  friend,  in  a  little  time  I  shall  see  her,  and  then  won't  I  be  happy  ?  " 

"  Yes,  old  man,  I  daresay  you  will ;  but,  'pon  my  word,  there  ain't  much  pleasure 
for  me  to  look  forward  to." 

"  Why,  there's  Mary  Ann  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  know  that ;  but  she  ain't  A-tae.  I  never  shall  get  another  gal  to  love  me 
as  she  did." 

"  Come,  Jerry,  don't  you  be  foolish.  I  used  to  be  melancholy  once,  but  look  at  me 
now,"  exclaimed  the  delighted  fellow,  as  he  joined  in  the  refrain, 

"  Cheer,  boys,  cheer,  no  more  of  idle  sorrow, 

Courage,  true  hearts,  shall  bear  us  on  our  way ; 

.  Hope  points  before,  and  shows  the  bright  to-morrow 

Let  us  forget  the  darkness  of  to-day." 

And  so  one  friend  cheered  the  other,  until  they  arrived  at  the  ship,  where  they  were 
welcomed  by  Mr.  Beauman,  and  in  a  short  time  got  up  their  anchor  and  steamed  down 
the  river  towards  Hong-Kong. 

Past  well-remembered  spots,  where  they  had  formerly  landed  and  obtained  supplies 
— through  the  barrier  stakes  without  bumping  aground,  and  by  Yin-sin  island,  then 
guarded  by  H.  M.  gun-boat  Stifler,  the  crew  of  which  turned  out  to  a  man  to  cheer 
them  as  they  steamed  by ;  away  they  rattle  right  merrily,  and  the  next  day  came  to 
anchor  in  Hong-Kong  harbour,  where  they  remained  until  the  twenty-fifth  of  July. 
During  the  interval  they  re-fitted  the  ship  and  prepared  her  for  her  long  voyage  home. 

Mr.  Thompson  called  upon  his  friends  to  bid  them  farewell,  and  during  the  evening 
Mrs.  Mackay  presented  him  with  a  gold  call  and  chain,  begging  he  would  accept  it  as  a 
small  proof  of  her  appreciation  of  his  kindness  to  her.  Before  he  left,  his  kind  friends 
took  him  up-stairs,  and  there,  calmly  sleeping  in  its  cradle,  he  saw  their  first-born. 
Jerry  bent  over  the  infant,  and  gently  kissing  it,  observed,  with  a  tear  in  his  eye,  that 
he  hadn't  been  so  near  an  angel  for  a  long  time ;  then,  for  the  twentieth  time  solemnly 
shaking  hands  with  the  parents,  bade  them  adieu. 

"  Mind  you  write  us,  Mr.  Thompson,  and  don't  forget  to  visit  Mary  Ann  as  soon  as 
you  arrive." 

"  Never  fear,  Miss  ;  I'll  write  you,  and  if  Mary  Ann  becomes  Mrs.  Thompson,  she 
shall  add  a  postscript." 

13 


194  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVENTUBEB  or 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

A  few  days  before  the  Stinger  left  the  China  station  the  P.  and  0.  steamer  Jowra 
arrived  in  harbour,  and  within  an  hour  of  her  coining  to  anchor  it  was  rumoured 
through  the  fleet  that  Captain  Woodward  and  Lieutenant  Russell  were  promoted. 
This  news  was  received  with  great  demonstration  of  delight  by  the  Stingers  ;  but  when 
they  heard  that  their  good  commander  was  to  go  home  by  the  overland  route,  and  that 
their  first  lieutenant  had  orders  to  take  charge  of  H.  M.  S.  Polecat,  which  had  just 
arrived  on  the  station,  their  pleasure  gave  way  to  regret.  Woodward  was  exceedingly 
sorry  to  leave  his  men,  but  he  wished  to  see  his  family,  and  a  son  and  heir,  born  about 
two  weeks  after  his  departure  from  home,  so  he  gave  his  steward  orders  to  pack  hia 
clothes,  and  within  six  hours  after  he  received  the  news  was  on  his  way  to  Singapore 
in  the  return  P.  and  0.  steamer.  By  this  time  a  morose-looking  individual,  named 
Tortle,  had  read  his  commission,  and  taken  charge  of  the  Stinger. 

As  Woodward  left  the  ship  the  men  clustered  round  to  bid  him  good-bye,  and  the 
tears  trickled  down  some  of  their  faces,  when  he  stood  up  at  the  gangway,  and 
exclaimed,  "  Good-bye,  my  brave  fellows !  God  bless  you  all." 

"  There  goes  the  best  captain  in  the  service,  and  it's  a  black  day  for  us." 

"  Why  ?  " 

"Why,  indeed  !  I  knows,  worse  luck.  We've  been  free  under  that  gentleman,  but 
bully  Tortle  will  have  the  gratings  rigged  afore  we  have  been  at  sea  a  week,  see  if  he 
don't." 

"  Do  you  know  him  ?  " 

"  Don't  I  ?  _  I  sailed  in  the  old  Spider  with  him,  and  a  worse  tempered  man  never 
wore  uniform.  He's  all  honey  one  day,  and  winneger  the  next." 

Captain  Tortle  was  what  is  called  in  the  navy  a  disappointed  man,  never  having 
been  lucky  enough  to  get  promoted,  according  to  what  he  considered  his  merits,  and 
had  done  all  sorts  of  naval  drudgery  for  some  years,  but  being  ordered  out  to  China  aa 
commander  of  the  Stinger,  was  promised  promotion  upon  his  return  in  that  ship  ;  so  hia 
only  object  was  to  get  home  as  quickly  as  possible.  Ill-natured  people  said  he  drank 
secretly ;  and  if  an  inflamed  visage  and  generally  bloated  appearance  are  criterions,  it 
may  safely  be  said  they  wero  not  far  wrong  in  their  assertions.  Upon  joining  the  ship 
he  read  his  commission,  said  he  was  glad  to  see  the  ship  was  ready  for  sea,  and  then 
ordered  the  acting  boatswain  to  pipe  down. 

Upon  the  following  day  Lieutenant  Russell  left  the  ship,  and  to  the  surprise  of  the 
officers  and  crew,  "  Nosey  "  Cravan  made  his  appearance  on  board,  and  announced  hia 
appointment  as  first  lieutenant. 

After  a  few  days'  delay,  during  which  about  twenty  of  the  best  men  in  the  ship 
volunteered  to  remain  out  upon  the  station,  provided  they  were  allowed  to  exchange 
into  Captain  Russell's  vessel,  which  offer  was  at  once  accepted,  and  the  same  number 
of  indifferent  hands  transferred  to  the  Stinger,  Captain  Tortle  received  instructions  to 
proceed  to  sea ;  and  upon  the  first  of  August  the  ship  steamed  slowly  out  of  the  har- 
bour, amid  hearty  cheers  from  the  crews  of  the  ships  at  anchor.  As  they  passed  H.  M. 
S.  Polecat,  their  late  first  lieutenant  stood  upon  the  bridge  and  waved  his  cap,  exclaim- 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      195 

ing,  "  There  go  the  happy  fellows ;  what  a  nice  voyage  they  will  have,"  little  thinking 
how  miserable  they  really  were,  and  forgetting  it  was  his  humanity  and  "Woodward's 
generous  example  which  had  raised  them  to  what  they  were  when  he  left  the  ship. 
The  Stingers  were  sad  at  heart  when  they  bade  adieu  to  Hong-Kong,  and  the  voyage 
which  all  had  looked  forward  to  as  one  of  the  happiest  they  could  imagine,  now  seemed 
fraught  with  trouble  and  discomfort. 

Cravan  did  not  mince  matters,  but  let  the  men  know  they  were  once  more  under  the 
command  of  a  tyrant,  and  all  Russell's  improvements  and  plans  for  their  benefit  were 
ruthlessly  abolished.  Three  days  after  they  left  the  harbour  it  came  on  to  blow,  and 
in  directing  part  of  the  watch  to  perform  some  duty,  upon  their  failing  to  carry  out 
the  order  to  his  satisfaction,  the  first  lieutenant  swore  at  them  so  brutally,  that  the 
men,  who  were  old  hands  on.  board,  determined  to  wait  upon  the  commander  and 
endeavour  to  prevent  such  language  being  used  towards  them  for  the  remainder  of  the 
voyage.  So  the  next  day  the  sailors  who  had  been  abused  went  aft,  and  respectfully 
submitted  their  case  to  Tortle,  who  was  steadying  himself  against  the  capstan,  evidently 
slightly  the  worse  for  liquor. 

"  What  do  you  want,  my  men  ?  " 

"  If  you  please,  sir,"  said  the  spokesman,  respectfully  removing  his  cap,  "  yesterday 
the  first  lieutenant  swore  at  us,  and  abused  us  in  a  way  as  we  hasn't  been  used  to :  our 
last  captain  wouldn't  allow  no  bad  language,  and  we  have  kind  of  dropped  it.  Now,  sir, 
will  you  be  so  kind  as  to  speak  to  the  first  lieutenant,  so  as  to  prewent  this  in  future  ? 
We  are  all  ready  and  willin'  to  do  our  duty,  but  beg  to  be  treated  like  men." 

Now,  the  articles  of  war  are  very  definite  upon  the  matter  of  swearing,  and  they 
provide  that  any  officer,  seaman,  or  marine  who  shall  be  guilty  of  using  profane  lan- 
guage, shall  be  duly  punished  for  the  same ;  but,  like  many  other  admirable  naval 
regulations,  this  only  refers  to  officers  upon  paper,  and  is  virtually  a  dead  letter  as  far 
as  they  are  concerned  ;  so  when  the  captain  heard  what  the  men  had  to  say,  he  stared 
at  them,  and  replied, 

"  You  complain  of  Lieutenant  Cravan  swearing  at  you,  do  you  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  Is  that  all  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  Very  well,  that  will  do.     You  can  go  forward." 

Tortle  laughed  until  the  tears  trickled  down  his  cheeks.  "  Oh,  ha,  ha,  ha !  Here's 
a  crew — can't  be  sworn  at.  Oh,  ha,  ha,  ha !  I'm — ha,  ha, — hanged —  !  "  At  that 
moment  Cravan  came  up  ;  and,  seeing  the  commander  laughing,  joined  in  the  merri- 
ment. 

"  What  do  you  think,  Cravan  ?  Oh,  ha,  ha,  ha !  Those  precious  saints  of  Wood- 
ward's have  actually  had  the  cheek  to  come  aft  and — Oh,  it's  too  much  for  me — to 
request  I  will  be  kind  enough  to  ask  you — Oh,  ha,  ha,  ha ! — it's  too  ridiculous — to  leave 
off  swearing." 

"  What  did  you  tell  them,  sir  ?  " 

"  What  did  I  say  ?  Why,  I  said— ha,  ha ! — go  forward,  which  meant — go  to  the 
devil!  I  wonder  what  next.  Why,  they'll  want  to  hold  prayer-meetings,  bless 
them!" 

After  this  there  was  a  marked  difference  in  the  behaviour  of  the  crew,  who  exhibited 
a  sullen,  dogged  manner,  when  going  about  their  duty ;  and  by  the  time  they  reached 
Singapore  more  than  one  man  was  reported  for  punishment ;  but,  in  spite  of  Cravan's 
endeavours,  the  commander  did  not  flog  them. 


196  BLUE  JACKETS;  OR,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

"  I  think  that  fellow  deserves  it,  if  ever  a  man  did,"  observed  the  first  lieutenant 
to  Tortle,  speaking  of  a  fore-topman  whom  he  had  reported  for  some  trivial  offence. 

"  No  doubt  he  does ;  all  of  them  do,  more  or  less.  But  the  regulations  are  getting 
more  severe  ;  and  if  you  flog  for  any  less  crime  than  mutiny  you  get  a  lot  of  botheriner 
letters  inquiring  for  particulars,  and  the  newspapers  take  the  matter  up.  I  cannot  flog 
the  brutes  for  mere  ordinary  crimes ;  that  time  has  passed,  I  ;im  sorry  to  say.  But  if 
they  only  raise  their  voices  in  mutiny,  I'll  give  them  all  they  ask  for — with  the  cat." 

"  You  see,  sir,  Captain  "Woodward  has  spoilt  the  crew :  taught  them  to  believe  they 
were  of  some  importance,  and  given  them  ideas  far  above  their  position.  It  will  be  a 
very  difficult  matter  to  convince  them  they  are  liable  to  the  lash  now.  Why,  some  of 
the  fellows  actually  think,  because  you  have  not  flogged  the  men  I  have  reported  to  you 
within  the  last  few  days,  that  you  have  no  power  to  punish  them  without  a  court- 
martial." 

"  Do  they  ?  "  chuckled  the  captain,  cracking  the  joints  of  his  fingers  as  he  passed  one 
hand  over  the  other.  "  Do  they  ?"  Only  let  them  mutiny,  Mr.  Cravan,  then  they  will 
find  out  if  the  lash  is  abolished.  It  never  will  be  until  there's  an  Act  of  Parliament 
passed  for  that  purpose,  as  we  can  always  find  reasons  enough  for  its  use  ;  and  if  we  do 
not  choose  to  give  any  explanation,  who  can  interfere  with  us  as  long  as  we  only  use  it 
to  suppress  mutiny  ?  " 

"But  these  are  such  a  psalm-singing  lot,  that  they  won't  mutiny." 

"  Then  we  wont  flog  them.  Ha !  ha !  ha !  Please,  Cravan,  don't  swear  at  them. 
Have  some  regard  for  their  feelings  in  future." 

One  night,  when  Thompson  had  retired  to  bed,  he  was  suddenly  awakened  by  the 
sick-bay  man.  who  informed  him  that  Tom  Clare  was  in  a  fit,  and  in  a  few  moments  he 
was  by  the  side  of  his  friend,  whom  he  found  in  a  state  of  great  prostration. 

"  What's  the  matter,  Tom  ?  " 

Evidently  the  sufferer  did  not  know  who  it  was  that  addressed  him,  and  soon  after 
Thompson  saw  the  poor  fellow's  head  fall  upon  his  chest,  and  he  seemed  to  all  appear- 
ance dead. 

"  Take  him  into  my  cabin !  I'll  look  after  him,"  said  the  acting  boatswain,  and  the 
inanimate  foVm  of  poor  Clare  was  conveyed  into  Thompson's  cabin,  where  the  doctor  did 
his  best  to  bring  him  to  consciousness. 

As  the  surgeon  stood  by  the  man,  with  his  fingers  on  his  pulse,  he  observed,  "  It's 
one  of  his  old  attacks,  Mr.  Thompson.  Don't  you  remember  he  has  suffered  from  them 
about  this  time  every  year  ?  " 

"  God  bless  us.     "What  day  of  the  month  is  this,  sir  ?  " 

"  The  sixteenth  of  August — sure  enough  it's  what  he  used  to  call  his  wife's  day. 
Poor  fellow,  he  won't  enjoy  her  society  long,  his  constitution  is  too  much  impaired." 

"  Don't  you  think  it's  flogging  has  brought  this  on,  sir  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  express  an  opinion,  Thompson.'1  the  little  doctor  replied  ;  but  he  knew 
full  well  that  the  lash  was  the  cause  of  the  poor  fellow's  trouble,  although  he  could  not 
say  so. 

"  He  ain't  never  been  the  same  man  since  that  cruel  sentence  was  executed  on  him, 
sir.  That  and  being  separated  from  his  wife  has  done  it.  See,  he's  reviving." 

After  a  time  he  became  sensible,  and  spoke  quite  rationally  to  those  near  him,  but 
he  steadily  refused  to  speak  about  what  he  had  seen. 

"  It's  a  horrid  dream,  a  kind  of  nightmare,  and  I  know  it  ain't  real.  Please,  Jerry, 
don't  ask  me  nothing  more  about  it." 

"When  the  first  lieutenant  went  his  rounds  the  next  morning,  he  observed  Clare  lying 
upon  the  bed  in  the  acting  boatswain's  cabin,  seeing  which  he  sent  for  Mr.  Thompson, 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      197 

and  sneeringly  remarked  that  he  did  not  approve  of  the  warrant-officers'  cabins  being 
turned  into  hospitals. 

"  If  you  please,  sir,  may  poor  Clare  remain  there  for  a  day  or  two  ?  I  don't  think 
he  will  last  long  anyhow." 

"  No,  sir ;  let  him  go  into  the  sick-bay,  along  with  the  rest  of  the  men.  It  won't  do 
to  show  favour.  Why,  they  will  want  me  to  turn  out  of  my  cabin  next." 

"Never  fear,  sir." 

"  "What  do  you  mean  by  that  reply,  Mr.  Thompson  ?  "  angrily  demanded  the  bully. 

"  What  I  said,  sir !  No  foremast  hand  would  think  of  axing  such  a  thing,"  coolly 
replied  Jerry. 

"  Oh,  very  good.  You  must  mind  what  you  say.  It  will  depend  on  me  whether 
you  are  confirmed  as  boatswain  or  not,  as  Captain  Tortle  will  be  guided  by  my  advice 
when  he  makes  his  report  about  you." 

"  I'll  do  my  best  to  do  my  duty,  sir ;  but  maybe  I  shall  never  be  a  confirmed  boats- 
wain. I  don't  want  to  get  it  by  unfair  means,  and  I  didn't  ask  for  the  rate,  as  you 
knows." 

"  Well,  that  will  do,  Thompson.  I  wish  you  well ;  but  take  my  advice — don't  show 
too  much  sympathy  for  your  old  associates.  The  time  may  soon  come  when  you  may 
be  called  upon  to  do  your  duty  towards  some  of  them,  and  it  wont  do  to  be  too  tender- 
hearted." 

"  You  brute  ! "  observed  the  acting  warrant-officer,  as  the  lieutenant  vanished  up  the 
hatchway,  "  so  that's  your  little  game,  is  it  ?  Well,  if  ever  I  lays  a  cat  across  a  fellow- 
creature's  back,  may  I  never  be  happy  afterward.  Them's  my  sentiments ; "  saying 
which  he  walked  aft  to  the  doctor,  and  told  him  what  the  first  lieutenant  had  said. 

Clare  was  moved  into  the  sick-bay,  where  he  had  a  better  chance  of  recovery  than  in 
the  boatswain's  cabin,  that  place  being  somewhat  close  and  uncomfortable  ;  but  still  to 
offer  it  showed  Thompson's  generous  nature,  and  how  willing  he  was  to  sacrifice  any 
comfort  to  serve  his  friend.  Tom  mended  apace,  and  when  they  left  Singapore  was 
able  to  get  about ;  but  the  doctor  kept  him  upon  the  sick-list,  knowing  that  the  slight- 
est excitement  might  prove  fatal  to  him. 

Many  of  the  crew  returned  to  their  old  habits,  and  began  to  use  bad  language, 
doubtless  encouraged  by  the  example  of  Cravan,  who  worried  and  harrassed  them 
nearly  out  of  their  senses. 

One  evening,  when  the  watch  below  were  as  usual  indulging  in  a  song,  he  sent  for- 
ward and  ordered  them  to  desist.  Now,  under  ordinary  circumstances  the  command 
would  have  been  obeyed,  but  as  this  was  the  last  of  many  petty  vexatious  orders,  some 
of  the  men  rebelled,  and  one  of  them  continued  singing.  Upon  hearing  this  Cravan 
put  on  his  sword,  and  going  forward,  attempted  to  pull  the  man  out  from  their  midst ; 
seeing  which  his  shipmates  threw  a  number  of  articles  at  the  lieutenant,  and  compelled 
him  to  retreat  aft. 

"  Come,  chaps,  let's  rise  and  free  ourselves,"  cried  the  excited  sailor  ;  and  in  a  few 
moments  several  of  the  men  had  secured  arms  from  the  steerage,  and  were  collected 
forward  behind  a  barricade  of  clothes  bags,  &c.,  awaiting  the  return  of  the  first  lieuten- 
ant. At  this  time  the  watch  on  deck  were  at  their  duty,  quite  unconscious  of  the  riot 
below,  and,  in  spite  of  the  bad  treatment  they  had  received,  few  of  the  original  crew 
joined  the  disaffected  party,  although  repeatedly  urged  to  do  so,  and  even  being  threat- 
ened when  they  refused  to  comply. 

Cravan  walked  down  to  the  captain's  cabin,  and  found  Tortle  snoring  upon  a 
sofa. 

"  Captain  Tortle,  the  men  have  mutinied.'1 


198  BLUE   JACKETS  ;    OR,    THE   ADVENTURES   OF 

"  All  right — let — 'em — flog  'em — I'll  do  it,"  grunted  the  drowsy  commander. 

"  But,  sir,  what  shall  I  do  ?  " 

"  Fire  among  'em  !  put  down  the  mutiny  !  Don't  bother  me,  sir,  I'm  sick,"  observed 
the  captain  in  a  dignified  manner. 

Finding  he  could  not  obtain  the  support  of  his  superior,  Cravan  entered  the  ward- 
room and  consulted  with  his  brother  officers,  who  advised  him  to  reason  with  the  men, 
when,  as  they  were  speaking,  they  heard  the  derisive  cheers  of  the  mutineers,  who  had 
succeeded  in  obtaining  the  arms  belonging  to  the  Royal  Marines,  and  were  shouting  to 
them  to  come  and  take  them  back  if  they  dared. 

As  matters  were  becoming  serious,  the  first  lieutenant  requested  the  officers  to  put 
on  their  swords  and  go  forward  with  him.  When  the  mutineers  saw  Cravan  they 
howled  with  rage,  and  swore  they  would  serve  him  out. 

Thompson  arrived  from  the  upper  deck  just  then  ;  and  seeing  how  matters  stood,  was 
stepping  forward  to  speak  to  the  foolish  fellows,  when  a  marline-spike,  thrown  by  one  of 
the  malcontents,  struck  him,  causing  his  right  arm  to  drop  powerless  by  his  side. 
"Without  noticing  this,  the  now  disgusted  acting  boatswain  rushed  forward,  and  before 
the  mutineers  could  understand  what  he  was  about,  had  seized  the  ringleader  with  his 
left  hand,  and  dragged  him  aft  to  where  the  officers  were  standing,  upon  seeing  which 
the  rest  of  the  men  gave  in,  and  sued  for  quarter. 

"  Put  'em  all  in  irons,  Mr.  Thompson.     You  have  behaved  nobly,  sir." 

By  the  time  five  of  the  most  prominent  mutineers  were  secured,  the  others,  who 
eould  not  be  readily  identified,  had  mingled  with  their  shipmates,  and  it  was  deemed 
best  to  let  them  alone.  When  the  last  of  the  malcontents  was  secured,  Mr.  Thompson 
repaired 'to  the  surgery,  where  the  doctor  examined  his  arm  and  pronounced  it 
broken. 

"  How  did  you  contrive  to  seize  that  big  fellow  with  only  one  hand  ?  "  demanded 
the  surgeon. 

"  Well,  doctor,  you  see  I  felt  so  mad  with  the  fools,  knowing  they  would  never  get 
their  rights  that  way,  and  the  sooner  they  come  to  their  senses  the  better,  that  I  rushes 
in  and  collars  big  Dick  Henston,  and  afore  I  knew  how  much  I  was  hurt,  I  had  hustled 
him  out ;  but  my  arm's  mighty  painful  now,  I  can  tell  ye,  sir." 

"  You  won't  be  able  to  punish  the  men  when  they  are  flogged,"  slyly  observed  the 
doctor. 

"  Thank  goodness  for  that !  I'd  rather  have  both  my  arms  broken  than  use  their 
strength  in  that  way.  I'm  on  the  list,  ain't  I,  sir  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  you  had  better  keep  in  your  cabin  for  a  day  or  two." 

Thompson  felt  quite  thankful  for  having  been  crippled  by  the  mutineers,  as  he  would 
most  assuredly  have  refused  to  flog,  the  men  had  he  been  so  directed.  His  promotion 
was  through  the  kindness  of  one  who  did  not  use  the  lash,  and  when  he  accepted  the 
appointment,  Jerry  little  imagined  he  would  ever  be  called  upon  to  perform  such  a 
brutal  duty. 

The  morning  after  the  disturbance  the  five  prisoners  were  brought  before  the  com- 
mander, who,  after  listening  to  the  complaint  of  the  first  lieutenant,  and  refusing  to 
hear  more  than  a  few  words  in  explanation  from  the  men,  sentenced  each  of  them  to 
receive  forty-eight  lashes,  directing  the  punishment  to  take  place  twenty-four  hours 
after  the  sentence  was  passed.  At  the  appointed  time  the  gratings  were  rigged,  and 
five  foolish  fellows  were  duly  made  more  reckless  than  they  were  before.  Thompson 
lay  upon  his  bed  and  watched  the  countenance  of  Clare,  who  was  seated  uy  his  side, 
and  noticed  that  as  the  sailor  heard  the  words  "  one!  two!  "  his  lips  moved,  and  it  was 
with  great  difficulty  that  he  controlled  himself. 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    "THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE."  199- 

"  I  thought  all  this  devil's  work  were  over  in  this  ship,  Jerry." 

"  So  -did  I,  chum,  or  I'd  never  ha'  taken  the  warrant.     Why,  if  any  one  'ud  have 
said  to  me,  "  Thompson,  before  the  ship  arrives  in  England  the  gratings  will  be  rigged, 
and  the  cat  laid  across  one  of  the  Stingers'  backs,"  I  should  have  laughed  at  'em." 
"  Jerry !  did  you  hear  that  poor  fellow  cry  out  ?  " 

"  Hear  him  !  Ay,  Tom,  and  pity  him.  Poor  devils,  they  put  up  with  ill-treatment 
until  flesh  and  blood  could  stand  it  no  longer,  and  then,  not  knowing  any  better,  they 
mutinied.  Lieutenant  Cravan  worked  'em  up  to  it,  knowing  he  had  only  to  keep  on 
long  enough,  and  they'd  turn  at  last,  but  I  was  proud  to  see  none  of  the  old  hands 
jined  tke  foolish  fellows — But — who  are  they  flogging  now  ?  why,  he  groans  awful ! " 

"  That's  Jack  Jones.     I  can  tell  his  voice.     He  ain't  a  bad  man." 

"  He'll  be  a  devil  after  this,  though,  Tom  !  " 

"  Gracious  me  !  why,  don't  it  seem  strange,  that  here  we've  been  for  months  and 
months,  and  never  a  lash  laid  on  a  man,  when  a  few  kind  words  kept  all  as  orderly  as 
possible  ;  now  nothing  is  heard  but  abuse,  and  the  men  gets  the  same  sort  of  treatment 
as  they  did  from  Captain  Puffeigh  and  Lieutenant  Crushe  ?  Well,  it  can't  last  long 
anyhow,  that's  one  comfort." 

Under  the  generous  Woodward  the  good  qualities  of  the  men  were  developed,  and 
all  endeavoured  to  show  how  anxious  they  were  to  please  him.  Yet  in  a  few  weeks  all 
this  was  changed,  and  his  excellent  work  undone  through  the  ignorance  of  two  men, 
who  were  utterly  unfitted  to  hold  command.  It  may  be  said  that  even  had  the  power 
to  flog  been  out  of  their  hands,  they  would  probably  have  devised  other  methods  of 
torture ;  and  a  brute  will  always  find  some  means  of  revenging  himself.  But  one 
thing  is  certain :  were  the  iniquitous  custom  completely  abolished,  and  the  cat-of-nine- 
tailfl  numbered  with  the  rack  and  other  things  of  the  past,  no  one  would  dare  revive  its 
use.  It  is  a  cruel,  savage  punishment,  degrading  to  all  concerned  in  its  infliction,  and 
there  is  no  excuse  for  it  that  man  or  demon  can  invent. 

In  the  U.  S.  Navy  this  degrading  practice  exists  no  longer.  Congress  passed  a  law 
which  for  ever  wiped  the  stain  from  the  stars  and  stripes,  it  being  therein  enacted, 
"  That  in  no  case  shall  punishment  by  flogging  be  inflicted,  nor  shall  any  court-martial 
adjudge  punishment  by  flogging." 

When  the  Stinger  came  to  anchor  in  Simon's  Bay  the  men  were  kept  close  prisoners 
on  board,  and,  in  spite  of  having  a  large  amount  of  pay  and  prize-money  due,  many  of 
them  deserted  or  attempted  to  do  so,  and  were  brought  back. 

After  the  ship  had  been  in  harbour  a  few  days,  Mr.  Thompson  went  on  shore,  and 
paid  a  visit  to  some  of  his  old  friends.  His  first  call  was  upon  Miss  Pferdscreptern,  he 
not  being  aware  she  had  entered  the  marriage  state.  Mrs.  Schwartz  was  slumbering  in 
a  rocking-chair,  while  a  small  tow-headed,  sleepy -eyed  edition  of  herself  sat  blinking, 
and  dozing  upon  a  footstool  by  her  side.  The  store  presented  about  the  same  appear- 
ance as  when  he  last  saw  it ;  but  the  lovely  fraulein  had  so  extended  in  latitude  that 
the  acting  boatswain  found  he  had  quite  lost  his  reckoning.  Advancing  with  his  cap 
respectfully  doffed,  Jerry  politely  inquired  if  the  lady  could  inform  him  where  Miss 
Wallbug  Pferdscreptern  lived. 

Mrs.  Schwartz  turned  her  head  and  chuckled  slightly,  whereupon  the  rolls  of  fat 
forming  her  neck  undulated  like  the  folds  of  a  flag  when  first  agitated  by  the  breeze  ; 
and  opening  one  eye,  she  slowly  replied, 

"  She  tousant  pe  here  at  all  now." 

"  Why,  when  did  she  die  ?  " 

"  She  tousant  get  tead." 

"  Where  is  she  then  ?  " 


200  BLUE   JACKETS  ;    OR,   THE   ADVENTURES   OF 

"  For  why  does  you  ask  ?  " 

"  Well,  you  see,  marm,"  replied  the  somewhat  puzzled  acting  warrant-officer,  "  I 
knows  a  great  friend  of  hers  named  Jerry  Thompson,  and  he  has  axed  me  to  look  her 
•up,  and  tell  her  all  about  him." 

"  No,  you  tousant  know  Sherry  Thompson.  He's  tead,  and  his  drue  love  marry  ein 
odder  man,"  observed  the  obese  lady  in  a  dreamy  sort  of  manner. 

"  Well,  never  mind  about  his  being  dead ;  I  wants  to  see  his  old  friend,  so  please 
mum,  I'd  thank  ye  kindly  if  y"bu'll  give  me  her  directions." 

"  I'm  vas  Wallburg  Pferdscreptern,  but  vas  marry  to  Captain  Schwartz." 

"  You— Wall— bug  ?  " 

"  Yaw,  I'm  vas  her." 

"  Well,  hang  me  if  I  can  see  a  liniment  of  her  face  in  yours,  mum.  I'm  Jerry 
Thompson." 

Mrs.  Schwartz  managed  after  a  great  effort  to  produce  an  incredulous  sort  of 
chuckle. 

"  Don't  you  believe  it,  mum  ?  " 

Slightly  roused,  the  lady  bubbled  off  a  laugh,  which  started  in  her  throat  and  seemed 
to  die  away  in  her  slippers,  then  turned  her  pumpkin-like  visage  towards  him,  and 
slowly  ejaculated,  "  I  tousant  believe  ein  vord  of  vot  you  spoke." 

"  Well,  mum,  they  says,  absence  makes  the  heart  grow  fonder,  isle  of  beauty,  fare 
thee  well ;  but  I  must  observe  that  any  little  weakness  as  you  may  have  felt  for  me  I 
am  happy  to  see  is  quite  vanished.  Good-day,  mum." 

"  Stop,  mine  friend!  vill  you  trink  some  schnapps  ?  " 

Jerry  was  about  to  decline  the  offer,  but,  thinking  it  might  be  considered  impolite, 
he  seated  himself  upon  a  bag  of  coffee,  and,  knowing  the  lady  objected  to  long  sentences, 
nodded  an  assent  to  her  proposition. 

Having  filled  two  glasses,  Mrs.  Schwartz  motioned  to  Thompson  to  take  one ;  then, 
without  more  ceremony,  observed,  "  My  lovs  to  you,"  and  in  a  moment  set  the  glaea 
down  empty. 

"  God  bless  me  ! "  ejaculated  her  visitor. 

"  Yaw,  yaw  !     Gott  pless  you,  mein  friend !  " 

Jerry  advanced  to  the  unwieldy  form,  and,  holding  out  his  hand,  exclaimed — 
"  Well,  I  thought  to  find  you  altered,  but  'pon  my  word,  my  dear  marm,  you  puzzles 
me — and  that  'ere  little  kid,  I  supposes  it's  yourn  ?  " 

"  Yaw,  dat  is  mine  kind." 

"  Well,  mum,  I  must  say  adoo,  and  can't  say  I  feels  any  sentiment  of  affection  a- 
knocking  in  my  bosom  when  I  looks  at  you,  but  I'm  Jerry  Thompson,  although  you 
don't  know  me." 

"  Mine  friend,"  replied  the  frau,  in  measured  tones,  "  you  tousant  hombogs  me  like 
that.  Scherry  was  ein  handsome  man,  and  ein  deal  petter-looking  than  ever  you 
vos  pe." 

"  Possible,  mum,  werry  possible  ;  I  never  was  considered  striking  in  that  line — 
adoo,  mum — may  you  be  happy,"  cheerfully  remarked  the  unabashed  fellow,  who  then 
left  the  store,  muttering, 

"  From  all  such  as  she, 
O  Lord,  deliver  me  ;  " 

and  in  a  short  time  found  one  of  his  old  acquaintances,  who  invited  him  to  dine  with 
tim  that  evening.  Mr.  Tomson  had  made  the  acting  boatswain's  acquaintance  when 
the  latter  was  living  on  shore  with  his  old  commander,  they  having  formed  a  sort  of 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    "THE    HEATHEN   CHINEE."  201 

friendship  on  account  of  the  similarity  of  their  names,  and  since  they  last  met  both  ha  d 
prospered  in  the  world.  After  strolling  about  the  place  until  four  o'clock,  Thompson 
returned  to  his  namesake's  store,  and  shortly  afterwards  was  driven  by  him  to  his  resi- 
dence, where  he  was  welcomed  by  his  friend's  wife,  and  two  charming  children. 

"  We  often  used  to  talk  about  you,  and  were  right  sorry  to  hear  you  were  killed," 
observed  the  lady. 

"  Thankee,  mam,  for  your  kind  feelings — but  really  I  didn't  deserve  them,  as  I  have 
never  written  to  you,  although  I  promised  to  do  so." 

"  Your  old  sweetheart  is  married !     Do  you  know  that  ?  " 

"  Yes,  mam,  I  called  to  see  her  this  morning,  and,  would  you  believe  it  ?  she  said  I 
wasn't  myself,  and  that  Scherry  Thompson  (as  if  I  were  named  arter  sherry  wine)  were 
a  deal  handsomer  man  than  ever  I  had  been — ha !  ha  !  ha !  " 

"That  was  scarcely  polite  of  her,  Mr.  Thompson." 

"  Well,  she  didn't  know  me,  for  she  spoke  very  kindly  about  me,  evidently  think- 
ing of  me  as  dead." 

Thompson  amused  his  friends  by  relating  some  of  his  adventures,  and  they  enjoyed 
his  company  immensely,  when  about  ten  o'clock  a  servant  brought  in  a  card,  and  saying 
it  was  for  the  sailor  gentleman,  and  a  gentleman  was  waiting  for  an  answer,  tittered 
and  retired  from  the  room. 

Jerry,  who  who  had  just  commenced  a  song,  apologized  to  his  friends,  and  perused 
the  card,  which  ran  thus : — 

CAPTAIN  MAX  SCHWARTZ, 

LATE 

HANS  JACOB  PFERDSCREPTEBN, 

SHIP  CHANDLER, 

Licensed  to  sell  Wine  and  Spirits  wholesale  and  retail. 
N.  B.     M.  S.  boards  all  the  shipping  upon  their  entrance  into  the  harbour. 

Having  read  the  foregoing,  Thompson  glanced  at  his  friends,  who  were  laughing 
most  immoderately,  and  observed, 

"  What  does  it  mean  ?  " 

"  Why,  it's  a  visit  from  Max  Schwartz,"  replied  the  lady,  somewhat  recovering  from 
her  merriment. 

"  Shall  I  ask  him  in  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  certainly.     He  is  an  honest  sort  of  man,  and  very  German." 

Jerry  walked  into  the  hall,  where  he  encountered  the  gigantic  form  of  Captain 
Schwartz,  who,  looking  at  him  in  an  absent  manner,  mildly  demanded, 

"  Is  you  Scherry  Thompson  ?  " 

"  Yaw,  yaw,  mine-ear,"  bawled  the  acting  boatswain,  as  if  hailing  some  one  in  the 
attic.  "  What  you  want,  mine-ear  ?  Won't  you  come  in  ?  " 

Captain  Schwartz  fumbled  in  his  coat  pocket,  and  bringing  out  another  card,  gravely 
handed  it  to  him,  and  exclaimed, 

"  I  schust  vants  zadisfaction." 

"Satisfaction?"     . 

"  Yaw ;  zadisfaction !     I  sbeaks  blain,  doesn't  I  ?  " 

At  this  juncture  the  host  came  forward  and  invited  the  captain  to  go  into  the  parlour, 
and  take  a  drink,  but  the  gigantic  Schwartz  would  not  move,  declaring  he  wanted  sat- 
isfaction, and  not  schnapps. 


202  BLUE   JACKETS  J    OR,    THE    ADVENTUKES   OF 

"  "Well,  what  sort  of  satisfaction  do  you  require,  and  what  do  you  want  it  for  ?  " 

"  I  vant  zadisfaction  for  you  to  go  und  make  love  to  mine  vrow.  Yah,  dat  ish  vot  I 
Tonts  zadisfaction  for,"  observed  the  burly  Teuton. 

Upon  hearing  this  Jerry  burst  out  into  a  loud  laugh,  in  which  his  friends  joined, 
and  for  some  time  he  could  not  reply  to  the  imperturbable  Schwartz,  who  gazed  on  the 
party  in  a  most  calm  and  indifferent  manner.  At  last,  however,  his  host  addressed  the 
man  in  German,  and  demanded  to  know  why  he  had  thus  intruded  upon  their  privacy 
and  disturbed  his  guest;  upon  which  the  big  one  replied  in  a  deep,  monotonous 
Toice, 

"  Veil,  you  see,  mine  friend,  I  vos  ashleep  in  mine  ped  ven  Hansen  mine  broder 
gomes  in,  and  dells  me  tere  vash  un  matrose  make  loves  to  mine  vrow,  so  I  gets  up, 
and  beeps  between  ein  knot  hole  in  mein  store,  and  zees  mein  vrow  trink  schnapps 
mit  der  Scherry,  und  den  I  goes  and  takes  a  trink  mit  Hansen,  and  we  talks 
it  over  until  he  tinks  I  must  have  zadisfaction,  so  I  takes  ein  Doitch  book  and  reads, 
tat  I  has  to  call  upon  mine  enemy  and  temand  zadisfaction,  and  so  I  vound  him  out 
and  comes  up  here." 

"Well,  now  you  had  better  go  back  again,"  observed  the  acting  boatswain  in 
a  jocular  manner.  "  I'm  laid  up,  can't  you  see,  and  don't  want  to  fight  about 
a  woman  who  ain't  nothing  to  me.  Besides,  you  might  get  injured,  which-  would  be  a 
pity." 

The  captain  did  not  deign  to  reply :  but  drawing  two  ancient-looking  flint-lock  horse 
pistols  from  the  depths  of  his  capacious  pocket,  and  producing  a  couple  of  bullets,  and 
a  tin  canister  of  sporting  powder,  gravely  placed  them  on  a  table  near  him,  and  waited 
for  an  answer  to  his  challenge. 

Seeing  his  host  was  about  to  interfere,  Jerry  begged  to  be  allowed  to  settle  the  mat- 
ter himself;  and  bidding  his  hostess  not  alarm  herself,  walked  towards  the  table,  and 
taking  up  one  of  the  pistols  between  his  finger  and  thumb,  coolly  inquired  of  the 
placid  German  if  it  were  his  property. 

"  Yah,  it  ish." 

"  Well,  then,"  exclaimed  the  now  annoyed  acting  warrant-officer,  throwing  the  pistol 
through  the  window,  and  rapidly  sending  the  other  after  it ;  "  now,  my  lyebeer  fryend, 
make  sail,  or  with  my  friend's  permission  I'll  put  you  off  the  premises." 

Captain  Schwartz  gravely  picked  up  the  bullets  and  powder,  which  he  carefully 
placed  in  one  of  his  pockets,  then  advancing  towards  Mr.  Thompson,  held  out  his  hand 
and  said  he  "  vas  zadisfied."  Hearing  this,  the  master  of  the  house  invited  him  to  take 
some  liquid  refreshment,  which  offer  was  promptly  accepted. 

When  the  husband  of  Walburg  became  a  little  animated  by  the  good  liquor  he 
imbibed,  Jerry  again  inquired  what  prompted  him  to  bring  the  pistols,  to  which  the 
captain  replied, 

"  Veil,  Scherry,  mine  friend,  ven  I  looks  in  the  Doitcher  book,  I  vind  it  says  ven  a 
man  vants  zadisfaction,  he  pest  get  it  by  calling  on  his  enemy  und  offering  him  schoice 
of  arms,  zo  I  kets  down  ter  bi«tols  of  mine  vrow's  vater,  und  as  I  knowed,  you  see,  der 
bistols  vould  be  no  goots  mitout  ter  powder  and  balls,  I  shust  brings  tern,  according  to 
what  is  says  in  ter  book  •<  and,"  added  the  captain,  with  a  grave  shake  of  the  head,  "  ter 
book  vas  right,  you  see,  for  I've  got  zadisfaction ; "  saying  which  he  arose,  and  nodding 
solemnly  to  the  party,  stalked  out  of  the  room. 

"  Is  that  the  Cape  style  of  getting  satisfaction,  friend  Tomson  ? "  demanded 
Jerry. 

"  Possibly,"  laughed  his  friend.  "  The  captain  is  contented,  and  so  you  may  laugh 
at  him.  But  what  is  that  ?  Why,  as  I  live,  Schwartz  is  hunting  for  his  pistols  in  our 


J.  -THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      203 

garden.  Well,  he's  a  harmless  fellow,  and  evidently  thought  if  he  followed  the  book  he 
would  be  doing  the  correct  sort  of  thing  under  the  circumstances." 

Thompson  bade  his  kind  entertainers  good-bye,  and  proceeded  on  board  his  ship, 
and  the  next  day  told  Clare  of  his  adventure  ;  but  by  some  means  Tom  seemed  to  im- 
agine that  Jerry  had  been  up  to  his  old  tricks,  and  consequently  Mr.  Schwartz  had  good 
grounds  for  challenging  him. 

"  I  don't  understand  you,  Jerry.  First  you  say  that  the  girl  didn't  know  you,  and 
then  that  her  husband  wanted  to  fight  you  because  you  made  love  to  her." 

"  Them's  the  facts,  Tom,  old  man." 

"  Why,  how  could  he  be  jealous  if  she  didn't  know  you  ?  " 

"Why,  you  see,  this  is  how  the  case  stands.  Captain  Schwartz  is  a  man  who  wants 
a  good  deal  of  time  to  calculate  in.  Now,  this  matter  wanted  settling  at  once,  so  he 
consulted  a  book,  and  being  in  a  hurry,  took  the  wrong  receipt,  and  werry  near  got  a 
thrashing  for  his  pains." 

"  Well,  that  may  be  so,"  replied  Clare ;  "  but  I  must  say  that  my  opinion  is,  you  was 
both  to  blame,  and  I  advise  you  to  leave  other  men's  wives  alone,  as  no  good  never  comes 
of  it ;  "  saying  which  Tom  nodded  to  his  friend  and  left  Lis  cabin. 

"  What  a  world  this  is,  thought  the  acting  boatswain.  "  I  only  call  upon  an  old 
flame  in  a  friendly  sort  of  way,  when  I  get  into  a  row  with  her  wooden-headed  husband, 
and  my  motives  are  wrong  understood  by  my  chum.  Now,  had  I  gone  in  for  a  regular 
fashionable  high  and  mighty  first-class  flirtation,  and  offered  to  elope  with  her,  or  some 
such  thundering  foolishness,  no  one  would  have  said  a  word.  'Pon  my  soul,  I  believe 
the  straiter  one  keeps  the  worser  one's  off.  Well,  never  mind;  in  a  few  weeks  this 
Toyage  will  be  over,  and  then  I'll  marry  Mary  Ann  Ross,  and  settle  down  into  a  re- 
gpectablo  member  of  society,  for  we  single  men  always  gets  blamed  when  we're  inno- 
cent." 


204:  BLUE  JACKETS;  OR,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

A  few  days  before  the  ship's  departure  for  home,  a  rumour  -was  circulated  on  board 
that  seme  relatives  of  the  commander  were  to  embark  as  passengers,  and  the  report  was 
confirmed  by  the  carpenters  being  directed  to  put  up  temporary  sleeping  accommo- 
dation in  the  captain's  cabin  for  a  lady  and  gentleman,  their  female  servant,  and  two 
little  girls. 

The  acting  boatswain  was  delighted  to  hear  that  a  lady  was  coming  on  board, 
thinking  Captain  Tortle  would,  under  such  circumstances,  abstain  from  inflicting  any 
severe  punishment  upon  his  crew,  and  he  knew  her  presence  would  in  many  ways 
ameliorate  the  condition  of  the  men.  He  also  had  some  curiosity  to  see  what  sort  of 
person  the  servant  was ;  for  it  must  be  confessed  that  although  Jerry  had  not  forgotten 
A-tae,  he  was  beginning  to  yearn  after  another  affinity.  We  do  not  wish  to  imply  by 
this  that  he  desired  to  slight  Mary  Ann,  although  probably  he  did  not  feel  particularly 
anxious  to  meet  her.  He  knew  that  he  had  promised  to  make  her  his  wife  upon  his 
return,  so,  thinking  that  without  doubt  she  had  waited  for  him,  he  was  determined  to 
keep  his  word  ;  but  he  somewhat  resented  what  he  called  her  silence,  never  imagining 
it  resulted  from  his  own  inattention,  and  objected  to  her  having  written  to  him  in 
poetry,  "  as  if  she  couldn't  write  him  a  letter,  instead  of  sending  that  stuff."  It  was  in 
this  spirit  he  anticipated  the  arrival  of  the  female  servant,  and  he  determined  to  enjoy 
his  freedom  while  he  could,  thinking  that  once  Mary  Ann  was  Mrs.  Thompson  all  such 
luxuries  as  affinities  would  be  simply  out  of  the  question.  Jerry  was  fast  returning  to 
his  foi-mer  general  devotion  to  the  fair  sex,  and,  as  Clare  observed,  "  would  require  a 
deal  of  looking  arter  for  the  future." 

About  nine  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  departure,  Captain  Tortle  proceeded  on  shore 
to  fetch  the  party,  and  it  being  rather  a  boisterous  day,  the  lady  was  afraid  to  venture 
in  the  gig,  so  the  captain  politely  brought  her  off  in  the  pinnace,  a  boatswain's  chair 
being  slung  from  the  main  yard,  in  which  she  was  safely  lifted  on  board  without  hav- 
ing to  climb  the  gangway  ladder. 

Mr.  Thompson  was  standing  by  the  starboard  companion  when  the  boat  arrived  along- 
side, and  although  on  the  sick-list,  he  gave  an  eye  to  the  rigging  of  the  chair.  Every- 
thing being  adjusted,  and  the  lady  comfortably  lashed  in  tlxe  apparatus,  a  boatswain's 
mate  piped  "hoist  away,''  and  in  a  few  moments  the  chair  rose  from  the  pinnace, 
freighted  with  a  lady  in  whose  lap  was  seated  a  most  beautiful  little  girl,  who,  instead 
of  betraying  fear  at  her  novel  position,  laughed  and  kicked  her  feet  about,  only  seeming 
concerned  when  she  found  herself  safely  landed  upon  the  deck.  The  lady  being  re- 
leased from  the  chair,  it  was  again  hoisted  up  and  lowered  into  the  boat  alongside,  from 
which  it  once  more  emerged,  bearing  a  smart-looking  French  bonne,  who  was  tightly 
clutching  a  blue-eyed  baby  ;  and  although  the  latter  did  not  cry,  it  evidently  anything 
but  enjoyed  the  hoisting  process. 

Mademoiselle  Adele,  glanced  timidly  down  upon  the  deck,  and  seeing  Mr.  Thomp- 
son with  his  arm  in  a  sling,  naturally  supposed  he  was  "  un  brave,"  and  determined  to 
captivate  his  heart,  thinking  how  nice  it  would  be  to  recline  her  head  upon  his  manlv 
bosom,  and  how  all  her  friends  would  envy  her  the  possession  of  "  un  officier  de  marine ;" 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    "THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE."  205 

but  the  young  woman's  thoughts  were  brought  to  a  somewhat  abrupt  conclusion  by  the 
men  at  the  fall  slacking  away  too  rapidly,  and  Adele  landed  upon  the  deck  with  some- 
thing very  like  a  bump,  which  for  a  moment  knocked  all  the  romance  out  of  her,  and 
caused  her  charge  to  scream  in  energetic  protest. 

As  the  bonne  was  being  released  from  the  chair,  her  employer,  Major  Barron,  walked 
over  the  gangway,  followed  by  Captain  Tortle,  who  went  aft  and  welcomed  the  lady  to 
his  ship  ;  and  in  a  few  moments  they  were  all  below,  praising  the  accommodation,  and 
thanking  their  relation  for  his  kindness  in  giving  up  so  much  of  his  cabin  for  their 
comfort..  The  major  had  been  out  in  Africa  for  some  years,  but,  having  lately  inherited 
a  large  estate  in  Kent,  was  returning  to  live  upon  his  property,  as  a  country  gentleman 
should.  He  had  delayed  his  departure  from  Simon's  Town,  knowing  that  his  cousin, 
Captain  Tortle,  would  touch  there  in  the  Stinger  on  his  way  home  from  China,  and 
under  the  circumstances  the  admiral  had  politely  given  him  special  permission  to- 
embark  on  board  his  relative's  ship. 

Mrs.  Barron  was  a  gentle  being,  thoroughly  devoted  to  her  husband  and  children,, 
and  beloved  by  all  who  knew  her,  while  her  eldest  daughter,  a  little  darling  between 
three  and  four  years  of  age,  requires  something  more  than  a  brief  description.  A  most 
graceful  child  was  Miss  Barbara,  with  a  dazzling  complexion,  which  presented  a  charm- 
ing contrast  to  her  dark  expressive  eyes ;  the  latter  seeming  to  search  into  yours  with 
mischievous  intent,  and  to  win  your  affection  at  a  glance.  Her  dimpled  cheeks,  tinged 
with  the  healthy  glow  of  childhood,  were  the  admiration  of  every  one  who  beheld  her  ; 
while  her  pretty  rosebud  of  a  mouth  was  ever  ready  to  pout  in  pretended  seriousness, 
or  arrange  itself  for  the  receipt  of  a  kiss.  These  charms,  crowned  as  they  were  by  a 
mass  of  fair  curly  hair,  in  connection  with  a  naturally  naive  manner,  made  this  baby  a 
being  to  be  loved,  and  petted ;  and  all  the  officers  and  crew  were,  upon  beholding 
her,  immediately  converted  into  ardent  admirers. 

Having  surveyed  their  new  quarters,  the  major  and  his  wife  returned  to  the  quarter- 
deck, and  amused  themselves  by  watching  the  arrival  of  their  baggage.  Mrs.  Barron 
seated  herself  upon  a  chair  brought  up  for  her  use,  and  took  her  youngest  daughter 
in  her  lap,  in  order  that  Adele,  the  bonne,  might  be  free  to  direct  which  packages  were 
required  to  be  placed  in  the  cabin,  while  Miss  Barbara  begged  leave  to  be  allowed  to 
talk  with  Mr.  Thompson,  whom  she  termed,  in  her  own  charmingly-original  language, 
"  the  man  with  the  curly  eye."  As  Jerry  smiled  upon  her,  and  watched  her  every 
movement  in  a  most  admiring  manner,  Mrs.  Barron  gave  the  required  permission,  and 
the  child  walked  half-way  towards  him,  pretended  to  look  shyly  upon  the  deck,  raised 
her  bright  eyes,  lowered  them  again, — then,  with  a  merry  little  laugh,  rushed  to  the 
acting  boatswain,  who  had  knelt  to  receive  her,  and  throwing  her  arms  round  his  neck, 
hugged  him  as  if  he  had  been  an  old  friend. 

As  the  baggage  was  being  moved  about  the  deck,  and  it  was  possible  the  child 
might  get  in  the  way,  Thompson  took  her  upon  his  left  arm  and  walked  over  to  the  port 
side,  where  he  seated  himself  upon  a  shot-box.  Having  slid  down  upon  his  knee,  the 
little  pet  carefully  smoothed  her  ruffled  garments ;  then,  with  a  mingled  exprepsion  of 
delight  and  coquetry,  looked  up  in  his  face,  and  said,  "  How  do  you  do,  sir  ?" 

"  "Werry  well,  thankee,  miss.  "Why,  you're  as  pretty  as  a  pictur.  What's  your 
name,  missy  ?  " 

The  artful  little  monkey  knew  she  had  made  an  impression,  so  she  bashfully 
inclined  her  head,  and  murmured  "  Cops." 

"  Cops,  you  beauty  !     Why,  that  ain't  a  name,  is  it  ?  " 

"  No,"  exclaimed  the  cherub,  shaking  her  head,  as  if  to  say,  "  Now,  don't  you  want 
to  know  all  about  me  ?  " 


206  BLUE   JACKETS  ;    OK,    THE    ADVENTURES    OF 

"  It's  a  purser's  name  ,  ain't  it  pretty  ?  " 

"No,"  continued  the  wide-awake  one,  not  exactly  knowing  the  meaning  of  the  word, 
yet  almost  guessing  its  import.  "  I  call  my-seli  Cops." 

"  Do  you,  beauty  ?  Well,  any  name  is  nice  that  you  are  called  by.  But  what  is 
your  regular  name  ?  " 

"  Barbara  Barron,"  demurely  whispered  the  infant,  playing  with  Mr.  Thompson's 
gold  chain  sis  she  spoke.  "  My  name  is  Barbara  Barron,  but  I  call  my-self  Cops." 

"  You're  the  prettiest  ofarling  I  ever  saw,"  declared  her  admirer.  You're  as  beautiful 
as  a  fairy.  I'll  do  anything  for  you." 

At  this  moment  her  papa  came  on  deck,  and  seeing  her  seated  upon  Mr.  Thompson's 
knee,  pointed  her  out  to  the  captain,  observing,  "  There's  Barbara  captivating  the  boat- 
swain ;  oh,  that  baby,  never  happy  but  when  receiving  attention  from  the  other  sex." 
But  Tortle,  who  considered  children  rather  a  bore,  merely  observed  that  the  boatswain 
would  take  good  care  of  her,  and  took  no  further  notice  of  the  little  darling. 

Seeing  her  father,  the  young  lady  inquired  if  her  parrot  had  corns  on  board,  upon 
which  Thompson  asked  her  what  the  bird  was  like. 

Cops  looked  at  him  with  a  very  serious  air,  as  if  about  to  impart  a  fearful  secret, 
then  taking  his  whiskers  she  tied  them  under  his  chin,  untied  them  again,  gazed  earn- 
estly into  his  eyes,  and  replied,  "  Ye-es.  It's  a  grey  one,  with  square  blume  eyes,  pink 
nose,  green  feet,  yellow  tail,  and  gold  ear-rings;  "  and  added,  her  bright  eyes  extend- 
ing with  animation,  "  It  will  bite  you  off  if  you  are  a  naughty  boy,  mamma  says 
so." 

"  Will  it,  miss  ?  Now  don't  say  so.  I'll  be  a  werry  good  boy,  and  then  it  will  leave 
me  alone.  But  where  are  you  going  to  keep  it  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  helplessly  replied  his  enchantress.  "  Won't  you  keep  it  in  yonr 
house,  and  let  it  live  with  you,  and  I'll  come  and  see  it  ?  " 

The  bird  was  just  then  brought  over  the  side,  and  Cops  pointed  it  out  to  her  friend. 

"  Is  that  your  polly,  darling  ?  " 

"  Ye-es.     Oh,  don't  he  shiver  ?  he's  ill." 

Thompson  advanced,  and  told  the  sailor  who  was  carrying  it  forward  to  take  it  down 
to  his  cabin,  where,  much  to  Miss  Barbara's  delight,  it  was  duly  installed  in  a  place  of 
honour  just  over  the  acting  warrant-officer's  table,  from  which  elevated  position  it 
could  throw  its  food  and  flirt  its  water  over  his  head  and  down  his  neck  as  he  sat  at 
meals ;  but  what  cared  he  for  that  ?  to  please  such  a  child  he  would  willingly  have 
roomed  with  an  alligator. 

When  the  bird  had  been  fed  and  received  it's  instructions  from  it's  mistress,  Cops 
ordered  her  slave  to  carry  her  up  stairs,  which  he  accordingly  did  in  a  most  submissive 
manner :  and  upon  their  reaching  the  top  of  the  ladder,  were  accosted  by  the  bonne, 
who  had  evidently  been  searching  for  the  child,  and  was  somewhat  out  of  temper. 

"  Oh,  mon  Dieu  !     Mademoiselle  que  vous  fetes  nottey ! " 

"  No,  she  ain't  naughty,"  replied  Jerry,  who  was  exceedingly  indignant  at  the  charge. 
"  She's  as  good  as  gold." 

"  Eff  you  zay  zo,  sare,  I  it  belief !  "  exclaimed  the  bonne,  darting  a  look  of  unmis- 
takable admiration  at  the  last  speaker.  "  You  are  trop  good  not  to  say  vat  is  not  ze 
trof ; "  saying  which  she  bade  the  child  kiss  her  hand  to  her  good  friend,  and  darting 
another  killing  glance  at  the  acting  boatswain,  seized  Miss  Cops,  said,  "  Good-bye,  sare," 
upon  her  own  account,  and  disappeared  below  with  her  charge. 

"  Oh,"  mused  Jerry,  "  that's  it,  is  it,  Miss  Polly-wo-frunkzay  ?  Well,  I  can't  make 
love  to  you  before  such  a  beautiful  angel  as  that  baby  is ;  besides,  I  don't  think  it's  right. 
Being  an  engaged  man,  it  ain't  correct  for  me  to  make  love  to  French  gals."  It  will  be 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."     207 

seen  by  this  that  Mr.  Thompson  changed  his  ideas,  as  some  do  their  political  opinion*, 
to  suit  the  circumstances  of  the  case. 

By  noon,  everything  being  quite  ready,  the  Stinger  saluted  the  admiral's  flag,  and, 
having  steamed  through  False  Bay,  made  sail  for  home,  all  bidding  adieu  to  Africa 
without  the  slightest  regret. 

About  five  o'clock  that  evening  the  ship  was  bowling  along  under  close-reefed  top- 
sails, and  Mrs.  Barroii  and  Adele  were  both  confined  to  their  cabins  by  sea-sickness, 
thus  giving  Miss  Cops  an  opportunity  of  visiting  her  new  fgend,  which  probably  she 
would  not  otherwise  have  enjoyed.  Before  she  left  the  cabin  the  child  fished  out  a  toy- 
basket  which  she  had  brought  on  board  in  her  hand,  and  after  giving  it  a  good  shake, 
to  ascertain  if  its  contents  were  safe,  she  knocked  at  the  outer  door  of  the  cabin  until 
the  sentry  heard  her  and  let  her  out ;  then  she  proceeded  into  the  steerage,'  and  pre- 
sented herself  at  the  door  of  the  acting  boatswain's  cabin,  which  she  found  closed. 

Mr.  Thompson  had  invited  his  friend  Clare  to  tea  with  him ;  and  when  Barbara 
arrived  at  the  door  they  were  busily  discussing  the  merits  of  a  tin  of  sardines,  termed  by 
them  "  Sardinians,"  and  Jerry  was  in  the  midst  of  an  explanation,  when  they  heard  a 
knock  at  the  door,  upon  which  Tom  laid  his  hand  upon  his  friend's  sleeve,  and  said, 
"  Hush !  there's  some  one  calling  Jerry." 

"  I  expect  it's  little  Cops,"  replied  Thompson,  picking  out  a  grain  of  Indian-corn 
which  had  just  been  dropped  into  the  sardines  by  the  parrot. 

"  Jer-ry ! "  again  exclaimed  the  impatient  child,  who,  now  hearing  her  friend's 
voice,  applied  her  boots  to  the  pannel  right  vigorously,  "  I  want  to  come  in." 

Thompson  laid  down  his  fork,  slid  the  door  back,  and  beheld  his  little  friend, 
who,  without  more  ceremony,  walked  into  the  cabin,  climbed  upon  his  knee,  and,  point- 
ing to  Clare,  asked  "if  he  were  his  father  ?" 

"  No,  Miss,  he's  my  chum." 

"  I'm  his  old  friend,  Miss,  and  has  got  a  little  boy  about  your  age,"  observed  Tom, 
who  Lad  seen  the  child  before. 

Barbara  pretended  not  to  care  about  Clare's  boy,  yet  asked  a  dozen  questions  con- 
cerning him ;  the  fact  was,  Cops.had  a  weakness  for  boys,  whom  she  considered  as  being 
specially  created  for  her  amusement.  So  well  known  was  she  at  the  Cape,  that  none  of 
her  young  gentlemen  friends  would  submit  to  her  tyrannical  friendship,  she  regarding 
them  as  slaves,  who  were  to  be  petted  or  slapped  as  the  whim  of  the  moment  prompted 
her,  a  course  of  treatment  many  of  her  older  friends  submitted  to  with  great  equan- 
imity. 

After  partaking  of  some  biscuit  and  sardines,  the  child  produced  her  basket,  and 
begging  her  friends  not  to  tell  any  one  about  it,  opened  the  lid,  when  out  tumbled  a 
much-ruffled  monkey,  seeing  which  Barbara  laughed  and  clapped  her  hands,  whereupon 
the  animal  sat  up,  stretched  out  one  leg,  scratched  itself,  and  looked  up  at  the  beams, 
and  when  the  attention  of  those  present  was  attracted  in  that  direction,  quietly  put  his 
hind  leg  in  the  basin  near  him,  and  grasped  a  lump  of  sugar,  which  he  deftly  conveyed 
to  his  mouth,  unobserved  by  any  one  bat  the  child,  who  was  perfectly  frantic  with  de- 
light over  his  achievement. 

When  her  merriment  had  somewhat  abated,  Cops,  with  wide-open  eyes  and  ex- 
pressive action  of  forefinger,  solemnly  enjoined  her  friends  not  to  tell  "  no  one  "  about 
her  monkey,  as  papa  and  mamma  thought  she  had  left  it  behind  her. 

"  Is  it  such  a  dreadful  secret,  that  the  monkey  can't  go  on  deck  ?  "  observed  Tom, 
who  began  to  think  his  friend  had  enough  live  stock  in  his  cabin,  his  hair  being  by 
that  time  pretty  well  decorated  with  rejected  Indian  corn  rinds.  "  Don't  you  think  it 
would  be  better  to  let  him  live  in  the  pinnace,  miss  ?  " 


208  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVENTUKES  OF 

"  No,"  gravely  replied  the  child,  "  it  mustn't  live  not  nowhere  but  here,  or  he'll 
die,  and  the  blume  mouse  will  come  for  you." 

Miss  Barbara  believed  in  a  highly-decorative  lot  of  bogeys,  but  was,  while  con- 
stantly threatening  others  with  their  visits,  herself  perfectly  indifferent  to  them. 
Jerry  listened  to  the  child  with  rapt  attention,  and  pretended  to  credit  every  word  she 
uttered  ;  seeing  which  Cops  enlarged  upon  the  blue  rodent  question  until  Clare  began 
to  imagine  she  was  slightly  touched  in  the  brain,  he  never  having  before  met  with  an 
infant  who  possessed  such  wonderful  imaginative  power. 

"  Is  she  all  right  there  ?  "  observed  Tom,  touching  the  back  of  her  curly  hair  with 
his  forefinger. 

"  Eight !  I  should  rather  say  she  is,"  replied  her  champion.  "  Why,  she's  as  smart 
as  lightning ;  and  what  you  think  is  nonsense  is  real  downright  cleverness,  a  deal  be- 
yond the  understanding  of  you  and  I,  "Why,  she  can  speak  French ;  can't  you, 
pretty  ?  " 

"  Oui  monsieur,"  archly  replied  the  young  lady. 

By  this  time  the  monkey  began  to  revive,  the  sugar  which  it  had  freely  purloined 
having  acted  as  a  powerful  restorative  ;  and  when  the  child  declared  she  must  go,  it  leaped 
upon  her  shoulder,  and  snicking  its  sharp  little  teeth,  offered  a  determined  resistance ; 
whereupon  Clare  cleverly  manufactured  a  leathern  belt,  which  he  fastened  round  the 
animal's  waist,  and  having  secured  it  with  the  chain  of  Thompson's  old  call,  he  drove 
a  nail  in  a  beam  ;  then  taking  the  wriggling  creature  from  the  child's  shoulder,  depo- 
sited it  upon  a  shelf  where  Jerry  usually  kept  his  books  and  other  treasures. 

As  the  monkey  landed  overhead,  the  marine  sentry  on  duty  before  the  door  of  lihe 
captain's  cabin  left  his  post  and  walked  forward,  being  directed  by  Tortle  "  to  find  out 
that  child  and  to  bring  her  aft ;  "  and  hearing  her  voice  in  the  boatswain's  cabin,  he 
put  his  head  inside  the  door  and  told  Cops  "  that  her  mar  wanted  her,"  upon  which  the 
pretty  creature  kissed  Mr.  Thompson,  blew  a  similar  favour  to  Clare  and  the  monkey, 
and  having  heard  her  parrot  say  "  Good-night,"  trotted  aft,  and  was  soon  afterwards 
undressed  by  the  drowsy  Adele,  who  was  half-dead  with  sea-sickness. 

After  they  had  been  at  sea  a  few  days  the  weather  moderated,  and  the  remainder  of 
the  voyage  was  remarkable  for  its  uniformly  fine  weather.  Miss  Adele  recovered  from 
her  sea-sickness  and  managed  to  get  about ;  and  the  midshipmen  took  every  oppor- 
tunity of  improving  their  knowledge  of  the  French  language  by  conversing  with  her. 
Now,  although  this  nattered  the  bonne  exceedingly,  still  it  was  not  the  attention  she 
wanted ;  and  the  sprightly  girl  was  somewhat  chagrined  by  her  failure  in  regard  to  Mr. 
Thompson,  who  avoided  her  in  every  possible  manner.  At  last,  one  afternoon,  when 
the  men  were  at  cutlass-drill  upon  the  quarter-deck,  Miss  Adele  sauntered  forward  to 
the  acting  boatswain's  cabin,  and  seeing  him  engaged  in  examining  a  pair  of  trousers, 
boldly  advanced,  and  addressed  him. 

•'  Monsieur  Thorn pe-sonne,  how  you  do  you  do  to-day  ?" 

Jerry  whistled  softly,  and  pretended  not  to  hear  her,  upon  which  she  stood  in  his 
light,  and,  smiling  on  him,  repeated  the  question. 

"  Ah  !  how-de-do,  may-dam-moselle  ?  " 

"  Monsieur  Thompe-sonne,  will  you  please  be  so  kind  as  to  tell  me  vare  my  malle- 
my  tronke  is  ?  " 

Jerry  looked  at  his  garment,  then  glanced  at  the  speaker,  as  much  as  to  imply  that 
he  thought  her  very  bold  to  speak  to  him  when  he  was  engaged  in  such  a  business ; 
and,  touching  his  injured  arm,  informed  her  that  he  was  on  the  sick-list. 

"  Oh,  are  you  sicke,  poor  theeng  ?  I  am  varrai  sorry.  Vill  you  allow  me  to  attend 
to  you  ?  I  vill  soon  your  arm  make  veil."  * 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B'.,    AMONG    "THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE."  209 

"  Jerry  got  up,  meditat'ng  a  bolt  forward,  but  the  bonne  -was  too  clever  for  him  ;  aa 
upon  his  rising  she  placed  a  hand  upon  each  side  of  the  door,  and  looking  at  him  in  a 
most  affectionate  manner,  softly  repeated,  "  I  am  varrai  sorry." 

Adfele  was  dressed  in  a  most  killing  costume,  and  the  effect  of  her  speaking  grey 
eyes  upon  his  susceptible  heart  resembled  that  of  the  sun  upon  ice  ;  so  Jerry  stuffed  the 
garment  he  was  holding  into  his  chest,  and,  approaching  her  politely,  yet  half 
reluctantly,  begged  she  would  withdraw,  observing  that  ladies  wern't  allowed  forward. 

Seeing  that  he  feared  she  would  get  herself  in  trouble  witlAier  mistress,  the  bonne 
altered  her  tactics,  and  with  a  sweet  smile  declared  she  had  no  intention  of  entering  his 
cabin,  but  that  all  she  required  was  the  loan  of  a  chair ;  upon  hearing  -which  Mr. 
Thompson  lifted  out  the  best  one  he  possessed,  and  having  dusted  it,  motioned  her  to 
take  it,  after  which  he  retired  to  his  den. 

Miss  Adele  took  out  some  knitting,  and  placing  the  chair  exactly  opposite  the  acting 
boatswain's  cabin,  worked  away  like  a  machine,  much  to  the  admiration  of  a  group  of 
marines,  who  were  watching  her  proceedings  with  the  greatest  attention.  The  bonne 
did  not  lack  admirers,  as  she  well  knew;  but  the  man  she  almost  worshipped,  "  the 
charming  Monsieiir  Thompesonne,"  was  unkind  to  her. 

Finding  she  meant  to  blockade  him,  Jerry  turned  his  attention  to  cleaning  the 
animals,  when  the  quick  eye  of  the  French  girl  discovered  the  monkey,  and  ^he 
determined  to  thaw  her  cold  idol  by  threatening  him  with  exposing  the  child's  secret ; 
so  she  started,  and  exclaimed  with  nn  affected  little  scream,  "  Oh,  Monsieur  Thompe- 
sonne !  vare  deed  you  get  zat  monquai  ?  " 

"  It's  mine,  miss ;  I've  had  it  a  long  time,"  he  coolly  replied. 

Adele  got  up,  walked  to  the  cabin  door,  surveyed  the  animal  with  a  slightly  con- 
temptuous air,  and  observed,  "  Zat  is  Meece  Barbe's  monquai." 

"Oh  no,  it  ain't;  it  ain't  the  little  gal's ;  it's  mine." 

"  Oh  no,  Monsieur,  I  know  zat  monquai ;  it  my  fingare  bited  too  many  times.  Her 
papa  zay  it  vas  to  be  kill,  but  one  leetle  niggare  boy  he  zave  it,  and  now  meece  hide  it 
here — I  must  tell  her  papa  of  it." 

"  For  goodness'  sake,  don't  do^iat !  "'whispered  the  fellow,  quite  forgetting  in  his 
anxiety  to  shield  his  favourite  from  trouble,  that  probably  her  papa  only  deprived  his 
child  of  her  plaything  because  he  thought  it  could  not  be  accommodated  on  board. 
"  Oh,  please  don't  tell  on  the  pretty  baby." 

"  Adele  "walked  into  the  cabin,  gazed  almost  fiercely  in  his  face,  and  exclaimed, 
"  Vy  should  I  hold  my  tongue  ?  you  do  not  care  for  me.  Vy  should  I  do  so  for  zo 
meece  ?  " 

"  Phew  ! "  whistled  Jerry,  seeing  in  a  moment  what  the  girl  meant.  "  Why,  my 
dear  may-dam-mosselle,  I'll  do  anything  to  please  you,  if  you  won't  split  about  tho 
monkey." 

"  I  do  not  vant  to  spleet  ze  monquai — mais  I  vant  ze  leetle  politeness  from  yourself. 
Monsieur  Thompe-somie.  Do  you  like  me  ?  No  !  Ees  it  zat  I  am  zo  uglee  done !  " 

"  Lord  bless  you,  miss,  I'm  in  a  perfect  fever  about  you.  But  please  get  out  of  my 
cabin,  the  engineers  are  a-looking  over  here,  and  making  fun  of  iis." 

"  Pah  !  what  you  care  for  zengeneers  !  If  zey  laugh,  you  can  blow  zem  viz  ze  boxe  ; 
you  are  brave.  Vous  etes  un  vrai  Hercule  !  " 

"  Anything  yoii  like,  miss,  if  yqu'll  only  get  out  of  my  cabin." 

"  Monsieur  Thompe-sonne,"  cried  the  girl,  now  thoroughly  roused,  and  indifferent 
to  any  consequences  to  herself  or  the  man  she  admired,  "  Ger-rrr-ai,  do  you  lofe 
me  ?  " 

"  Lord  bless  you,  miss,  I  adore  you ;  but  do,  if  you  please,  get  out  of  my  cabin." 

14 


210  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

After  much  persuasion  she  finally  left  his  presence,  but  not  until  she  had  extorted 
from  him  the  word  "  yes,"  in  reply  to  her  inquiry,  "  Do  you  lofe  me  ?  "  It  appeared 
that  she  had,  from  some  French  novel,  taken  the  idea  that  all  the  English  law  required 
was  the  repeating  of  the  word  "  yes "  on  the  part  of  the  man;  evidently  the  author 
must  have  taken  a  passage  from  the  marriage  service  and  introduced  it  in  his  story  as 
"  a  manner  and  custom  of  the  John  Boule,"  as  after  Jerry  had  said  that  word  she 
became  as  submissive  as  a  slave,  and  that  evening  told  her  mistress,  in  great  confidence, 
"  zat  she  was  going  to  be  married  to  ze  brave  Monsieur  Thompe-sonne  as  soon  as  zey 
arrived." 

As  the  time  passed  Miss  Barbara  became  known  to  all  the  crew,  and  it  was  a  sight 
that  would  have  moved  a  misanthrope  to  see  the  pretty  infant  tyrannizing  over  the  men 
in  her  tiny  way.  As  to  Thompson,  he  was  her  slave,  and  poured  out  the  choicest 
treasures  he  possessed  for  her  amusement,  it  being  nothing  uncommon  to  see  Cops 
sitting  upon  the  image  of  the  "God  Buddha,  and  nursing  the  God  Fo,  whom  she  called 
"  a  nice  fat  little  boy,"  while  an  admiring  crowd  of  sailors  watched  her  footsteps,  and 
removed  every  rope  yarn  from  her  path  whenever  she  honoured  them  by  extending  her 
promenade  round  the  forecastle. 

Jerry  was  exceedingly  particular  how  he  treated  the  bonne ;  in  fact,  upon  all  occa- 
sions he  what  the  Irish  term  "  blarnied  "  her,  in  order  that  she  might  keep  Miss  Cop'a 
secret ;  while  she,  imagining  he  was  lawfully  engaged  to  marry  her  according  to 
English  custom,  gave  him  a  little  latitude,  and  overlooked  many  small  offences  which 
otherwise  she  would  have  resented. 

"  Upon  my  word,  you  get  more  beautiful  every  day,"  he  observed  to  Adele  one 
morning  when  she  brought  Cops  forward  to  feed  her  bird.  "  I  wonder  how  it  is  you 
haven't  got  married  before  this  ?  " 

"  Oh,  cher  Ger-r-r-r-ai,  I  vait  for  you.  I  know  alway  zat  you  live  some-me-ware  in 
ze  world.1' 

"  Did  you,  miss  ?  Ah !  I  see^.  You're  one  of  them  what's-his-names  wot  believe 
in  having  another  of  the  opposite  sex  -always  a  cruising  about  in  search  of  them.  I've 
never  come  across  one  of  your  speecee  before.  How  1}  you  like  it  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  lof  you,  Ger-r-r-r-ai,  and  vot  do  I  vant  more  ?  "  replied  the  girl,  darting  a 
sentimental  glance  at  him  over  her  shoulder  as  she  walked  away. 

"  A  deal  that  you  won't  get,  I  reckon,"  quietly  observed  the  acting  warrant-officer. 
as  he  watched  her  across  the  steerage.  "  I'll  keep  on  at  this  game  until  you  lands,  and 
then  adoo  to  polly-woo-frunkse  ;  there's  too  much  of  the  rile  tiger  about  your  style  to 
suit  me." 

One  afternoon,  as  the  ship  was  running  as  upright  as  a  dart,  Cops  was  permitted  to 
go  forward  as  far  as  the  booms,  and  of  course  was  attended  by  her  friend ;  and  as  this 
was  to  be  his  last  day  on  the  list,  he  had  devoted  nearly  the  whole  of  it  to  the  child. 
After  telling  her  some  marvellous  stories,  which  the  clever  "dot"  perfectly  understood, 
he  told  her  what  the  guns  said  at  Canton,  and  invented  a  new  speech  for  each  piece, 
Jerry  being  never  tired  of  talking  to  her ;  when  suddenly  she  declared  she  was  weary, 
and  made  him  sit  down  .upon  a  shot  box  while  she  told  him  a  story  ;  seeing  which  a 
number  of  men  who  were  lying  upon  the  deck  got  up  and  watched  the  child,  as  if  they 
could  have  worshipped  her. 

"  Who  is  those  men  ?  "  inquired  the  little  autocrat,  pointing  to  the  sailors.  "  May 
I  play  with  them  ?  "  , 

The  captain  and  first  lieutenant  being  below,  and  the  men  off  watch,  Thompson 
thought  it  would  be  no  harm  to  indulge  his  idol,  so  the  sailors  were  informed  they 
might  approach  the  child,  upon  which  she  assumed  a  severe  expression  of  face  and  sent 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG     "  THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE."  211 

them  all  in  the  corner,  while  she  plundered  her  attendant  of  his  silk  handkerchief,  which 
*he  wrapped  round  a  gun-chock  and  carefully  nursed  in  her  lap.  After  having 
amused  herself  for  some  time,  she  made  them  all  sit  in  a  circle,  then  with  bated  breath 
told  them  of  the  "  blume  "  mouse. 

The  sailors  looked  at  each  other  and  laughed,  upon  which,  thinking  they  were  not 
sufficiently  attentive,  she  ordered  them  all  out  of  her  house,  and  having  sent  her  only 
love,  Jerry,  into  the  corner,  drew  the  handkerchief  more  tightly  round  the  gun-chock, 
and  bade  her  baby  go  to  sleep  before  the  mouse  came  out  of  the  gun.  Thompson  stood 
with  his  face  to  the  ship's  side,  looking  in  Barbara's  eyes,  the  very  perfection  of  a 
naughty  boy,  when  suddenly  a  hand  was  laid  upon  her  shoulder,  and  she  heard  the 
voice  of  Captain  Tortle,  who  roughly  told  her  to  go  below,  as  mamma  wanted  her. 

Now,  Miss  Barbara  was  an  exceedingly  dignified  child  ;  and  Tortle  having  addressed 
her  as  youngster,  she  pretended  not  to  have  heard  his  speech,  but  proceeded  to  scold 
her  naughty  boy,  who,  unmindful  of  the  commander's  presence,  was  still  "in  the 
corner." 

"  Hush,  sir  ! "  she  observed,  when  the  captain  again  spoke  to  her,  and  added,  look- 
ing up  in  his  face, — her  eyes  dilated  with  excitement, — "  Don't  you  see  my  baby  is 
asleep  ?  I'm  sained  of  you  !  " 

Hearing  this,  Tortle,  who  could  not  appreciate  the  pretty  little  comedy,  rudely 
picked  up  the  child,  and  carried  her  down  to  the  cabin ;  and,  upon  stooping  to  ask  her 
for  a  kiss,  received  a  severe  smack  on  the  face  from  the  indignant  little  lady,  who 
immediately  afterwards  wisely  sought  refuge  in  the  folds  of  her  mamma's  dress,  where 
she  indulged  in  a  good  cry. 

Tortle  rubbed  his  face  with  his  handkerchief,  and  pretended  to  be  amused,  while  he 
inwardly  vowed  he  would  never  touch  her  again.  Poor  baby  !  'twas  very  thoughtless 
of  him  to  wake  her  so  suddenly  from  her  dream  of  pleasure,  and  he  fully  deserved  the 
blow  she  gave  him.  Upon  seeing  her  sister  in  tears,  Marie,  the  younger  one,  joined  in 
the  out-burst,  and  cried  "  Go  away  "  to  the  naughty  captain,  who  thereupon  beat  a 
retreat  to  the  upper  deck. 

When  their  grief  was  somewhmt  abated,  their  gentle  mother,  with  solemn  voice, 
told  them  how  wrong  it  was  for  a  little  girl  to  do  such  a  sad  unladylike  act  as  to  smack 
flie  captain,  and  how  she  feared  that  Barbara  would  never  become  an  angel  if  she  did  not 
alter  her  behaviour, — upon  which  the  darling  naively  declared  she  would  rather  be 
Cops  and  smack  him  again  than  be  an  angel  and  not  do  it.  This  irreverent  reply  so 
shocked  her  mother  that  she  reported  the  circumstance  to  her  papa,  who  thereupon 
seized  the  infant,  and  smothered  her  in  kisses ;  when  the  artful  puss,  finding  him  in  a 
good  humour,  proceeded  to  tell  him  about  her  monkey,  and  how  kind  dear,  dear 
Thompson  had  been.  Adele  heard  this,  and  did  not  feel  pleased  with  the  disclosure, 
but  comforted  herself  with  Jerry's  having  said  yes,  and  looked  forward  to  becoming 
"  Mrs.  Thompe-sonne  "  with  as  much  confidence  as  ever. 

The  day  after  this  Mrs.  Barren  had  an  opportunity  of  speaking  to  the  acting 
boatswain,  who,  almost  against  the  wish  of  the  doctor,  was  now  once  more  on  duty,  and 
after  a  little  conversation  she  sounded  him  about  Ad£le. 

"  "Why,  bless  your  heart,  mam,  I  don't  mean  anything  to  the  young  woman,"  and 
then  he  told  her  all  about  her  threat  of  exposing  the  presence  of  the  monkey,  softening 
it  down,  however,  as  much  as  possible,  and  blaming  his  own  dull  head  more  than  the 
girl's  foolishness. 

"  You're  not  married,  are  you,  Mr.  Thompson  ?  " 

"  Me,  mam  ?  what  makes  you  think  that  ?  " 

"  "Why,  I  have  heard  you  mention  your  little  boy." 


212  BLUE  -JACKETS  ;     OB,    THE    ADVENTURES    OF 

"  Do  you  know  Clare,  mam  ?  Tom,  we  calls  him,  Miss  Cops  knows  him,"  he  added, 
smiling  at  the  child,  who  was  seated  on  his  arm.  "  Well,  mam,  that  poor  fellow  has  a 
wife  and  a  child  and  I've  a  life-interest  in  their  baby,  that  is,  if  poor  Tom  don't  live,  I 
shall  help  bring  him  up,  as  I  knows  if  he  dies  his  wife  won't  be  long  a  follerin'  of  him, 
as  they  loves  each  other  truly  and  dearly." 

"  Why,  you  cannot  attend  to  the  boy  when  you  are  at  sea,  can  you,  Mr.  Thomp- 
son?" 

"  I  don't  mean  to  foller  the  sea  any  longer.  I've  a  poor  old  mother  who  is  in  an 
almshouse,  and  I'm  going  to  take  her  out  and  stay  by  her  in  future;  and  then  if  any- 
thing occurs  to  poor  Tom  and  his  wife,  I  can  take  the  boy  home  with  me." 

"  Where  does'  your  mother  reside  ?  " 

"  At  Nonnirigton,  Kent.  mam.     I  was  born  there." 

"  Why,  that  is  near  my  husband's  estate ;  I  must  talk  to  him  about  you." 

That  evening  the  major  sent  for  Mr.  Thompson,  having  first  obtained  full  particu- 
lars about  the  acting-warrant  from  the  captain  and  doctor,  the  latter  gentleman  being 
a  great  friend  of  his.  After  putting  a  few  questions  to  Jerry,  he  informed  him  that  he 
had  determined  to  pension  off  the  steward  now  man.vginghis  estate,  as  he  knew  lie  w::> 
too  old  to  agree  with  his  ideas  as  to  its  future  government,  and  that  having  observed 
Mr.  Thompson  was  gifted  with  great  tact  and  hud  a  way  which  pleased  him,  he  wou'.cl 
give  him  a  house  and  garden  rent  free,  with  coal  and  wood,  and  a  salary  of  eighty 
pounds  for  the  first  year,  if  he  would  in  return  giveall  histime  and  best  services  to  him 
as  steward,  adding,  "  I  know  you  will  quickly  learn  what  is  necessary,  and  will  suit  me 
far  better  than  a  man  who  has  been  brought  up  to  the  business." 

Jerry  stood  quite  dumbfounded  for  a  moment,  then  in  a  few.  words  thanked  liis 
benefactor,  adding,  as  if  that  thought  were  uppermost,  "I  shall  often  be  able  to  me 
your  little  daughter,  which  pleases  me  as  much  as  anything." 

Great  was  Miss  Barbara's  joy  when  she  heard  that  her  friend  was  to  live  near  them 
on  shore,  and  she  immediately  suggested  to  her  papa  the  propriety  of  building  a  su_:.a-- 
candy  house  for  Mr.  Thompson's  mother,  which  proposition  her  father  gravely  promised 
to  take  into  consideration. 

Tom  Clare  was  delighted  with  his  friend's  erood  fortune,  little  thinking  that  he  in- 
tended to  share  it  with  him  ;  but  when  they  chatted  it  over  that  evening.  Jerry  <•?:',<:•  --i 
Tom  a  home  in  his  house,  saying,  the  country  a  r  and  the  society  of  his  wife :wx>ula 
soon  bring  him  round.  Visions  of  happy  t<-;;-p.  r'  irs  un.a  r  the  trues  in  the  orchard,  for 
Thompson  knew  his  future  home  well,  and  of  little  Tom  learning  fr>  be  a  farmer,  while 
Polly  was  to  milk  the  cows,  and  Clare  to  see  aft^r  the  flower  garden ;  these  pleasant 
thoughts  busied  the  friends  until  they  heard  a  <-ry  along  fie  docks  of  "light  on  our 
starboard  bow,"  and  they  knew  that  they  had  OIK  e  more  arrived  off  their  native  li 
Upon  going  on  deck,  they  saw  the  Start  light  blinking  across  tlio  water,  an  1  J  i'ry 
pressed  his  friend's  thin  hand,  and  laughingly  observed  that  in  a  few  d;iys  they  would 
be  on  the  right  side  of  that  light. 

Clare  soon  after  this  went  forward,  and  Mr.  Thompson  was  left  to  his  own  thoughts. 
but  in  a  few  moments  he  became  aware  that  Adele  was  standing  near  him,  and  to  his 
surprise  found  she  was  weeping. 

"  Oh,  Monsieur  Thompe-sonne,  how  could  you  trifle  vith  me  like  zat  you  have  did  ? 
I  lofe  you  so  mooche,  and  you  zay  to  madame  you  do  not  lofe  me." 

Thompson  looked  at  the  girl  with  astonishment,  then  desiring  her  to  wait  win  ; 
was  for  a  moment,  descended  into  his  cabin.     After  a  short  delay  he  returned  t  >  r- 
deck  bearing  in  his  hands  a  sin  ill  box  which  he  handed  to  the  bonne,  s-ivin.?,  ••  A  1 ".  • 
I  knows  you  ladies  are  fond  of  gold  chains.     I  ';  that  I  have  been  rath    • 


J.  THOMPSON, -A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHIXEK." 


213 


soapy  with  you,  but  if  you'll  say  you  forgive  me,  as  you  knows  I  did  it  for  the  pretty 
one's  sake,  I'll  give  you  that." 

Adt-le  walked  aft  and  descended  to  the  cabin,  where  she  examined  the  chain,  which 
was  of  solid  gold,  and  the  one  that  Jerry  had  looted  from  the  pirate  Seh-wang.  After 
careful'. y  weighing  it  in  her  hands,  and  reflecting  for  a  few  moments,  the  bonne  re- 
turned to  the  deck,  and  having  found  out  the  patient  Thompson,  informed  him  '•  that 
it  was  verray  good,  she  vas  content,"  and  added  in  an  undertone,  "  Je  voudrais  etre 
troinpee,  tous  les  jours  a  ce  prix  la  ! " 


BLUE   JACKETS  ;    OK,    THE    ADVE-NTL'KES    OF 


CHAPTER  XXVH. 

THOSE  who  have  never  been  away  from  their  native  land,  can  hardly  imagine  the 
intense  excitement  which  prevailed  on  board  the  Stinger,  when  the  word  was  passed 
along  the  deck  that  the  Start  had  been  made.  "  Land  ho  ! "  shouted  the  boys  who  had 
remained  up  to  get  the  first  glimpse  of  the  long-watched-i'or  light.  "  Tumble  out, 
chaps,  and  see  the  land."  Hearing  this,  the  ordinary  seamen  and  boys  of  the  watch 
below  turned  out  and  went  on  deck ;  while-  the  older  men  of  the  crew,  after  vainly 
pretending  not  to  care,  at  last  followed  their  example.  Under  other  circumstances  the 
latter  would  have  kept  their  beds  until  the  time  came  for  them  to  go  on  duty,  but  the 
Start  light  was  to  them  a  proof  that  they  would  shortly  be  free  men.  again  :  and,  leaving 
the  snug  shelter  of  their  hammocks,  they  crawled  on  deck,  and  after  gazing  at  the 
bright  beam,  fell  to  at  discussion  as  eagerly  as  their  more  youthful  shipmates. 

"  That  ain't  the  Start  light ;  it's  the  Shambles,"  growled  an  aged  tar,  who,  wrapped 
up  to  the  eyes  in  a  lammy  frock,  strongly  resembled  a  polar  bear. 

"  I  tell  ye  it's  the  Start,"  urged  another  speaker ;  "  I  was  borued  not  far  off  it,  and 
I  ought  to  know." 

'•  You  was  borned  ?  "  contemptuously  observed  the  old  man  who  had  first  spoken  ; 
"  you,  was  borued  ?  Well,  I  suppose  every  one  has  been  borned  as  well  as  you.  But  I 
say  it's  the  Shambles,  and  I  don't  care  a  button  who  says  it  isn't." 

"  There's  the  Portland  light,"  cried  another ;  and  so  they  made  out  each  beacon  as  it 
came  in  view,  and  yarn&l  away  the  time  utterly  regardless  of  its  being  their  watch 
below. 

The  "  watch  on  deck  "  worked  like  lightning ;  and  Tortle,  who  was  on  the  bridge 
with  Cravan,  observed  they  were  as  smart  a  crew  as  he  had  ever  commanded. 

"  Yes,"  sneered  the  first  lieutenant,  "they  can  move  quick  enough,  the  lubbers,  now 
they  smell  the  land ;  they  are  not  as  smart  as  this  in  a  gale  of  wind." 

Forward,  the  gun-ports  of  the  forecastle  were  swarming  with  the  watch  below  and 
idlers,  and  it  was  amusing  to  hear  their  ideas  as  to  what  they  would  do  with  their 
money  when  they  were  paid  off;  the  opinions  of  the  old  petty  officers  being  listened  to 
with  the  utmost  attention  and  respect  by  the,  boys,  who  believed  their  mess-bullies 
possessed  the  inostj profound  knowledge  of  nautical  human  affairs. 

"  I  say,  Bill  Parley,  won't  your  old  woman  be  in  Portsmouth  to  meet  you  ?  "  ob- 
served a  leathern-visaged  individual  to  a  fat  old  boatswain's  yeoman,  who,  with  round 
figure  and  small  head,  looked  like  a  turtle  standing  on  its  hind  fins. 

•'  She  will  be  there,  me  hearty — trust  her.  My  old  gal  has  never  missed  a  voyage 
but  once,  and  then  1  lost  my  way,  and  by  the  time  I  reached  her  I  had  only  a  penny  in 
my  pocket.  Ha,  ha,  ha !  " 

This  being  the  signal  for  a  laugh,  the  spectators  joined  in  the  roar,  but  the  moral  of 
the  story  was  not  lost  on  the  boys,  who  whispered  to  each  other,  •'  Ah,  old  Bill's  bin  a 
gay  one,  ain't  he  ?  " 

"  How  are  you  goin'  to  spend  your  whack,  Joseph ';  "  demanded  another  old  salt, 
addressing  a  marine  who  was  seated  011  the  starboard  side  of  the  forecastle.  "How  are 
you  a  goiu'  to  get  rid  of  all  your  fan-pinncr.s,  chummy  Y  " 


J.    THOMPSON     A.    B..    AMONG    "  THE    HEATHEN    CHENEE."  215 

"  Me,  old  George  ?  Why,  I'm  going  to  buy  my  discharge,  and  mean  to  emigrate  to 
Awstraylea.  I'm  tired  of  soldiering." 

"  Are  you,  Joseph  ?  "  continued  his  friend  somewhat  sarcastically.  "  I  know  what 
sort  of  Stralia  you'll  reach.  Youll  go  ashore,  get  a  pint  of  beer,  go  up  to  the  barracks, 
go  to  the  canteen,  treat  a  lot  of  fellers  who  is  as  greedy  as  sharks,  get  into  a  glorious 
state,  have  your  furlough  given  you,  go  on  a  bender,  be  in  a  werry  tight  state  for  a 
week,  wake  up  some  mornin'  to  find  you  haven't  got  a  mag,  have  a  pint  on  tick,  get 
histed  out  of  the  house  and  fetch  up  in  barricks  agin  jest  in  time  to  lam  your  new  drilL 
That'll  be  your  Straylia.  No,  Joseph,  you  belongs  to  the  sarvice ,  you  don't  know 
nothing  outside  of  the  sarvice,  and  the  sarvice  will  keep  you,  mark  me  !  " 

The  marine  growled  out  a  reply,  saying  that  he  sposed  he  weren't  a  born  fool,  and 
knowed  what  to  do  with  his  own ;  but  the  audience  only  shook  their  heads  and  looked 
pityingly  upon  him.  Their  oracle  had  spoken,  and  they  firmly  believed  that  Joseph 
would  do  exactly  as  George  predicted. 

Towards  midnight  some  of  the  watchers  began  to  get  tired  of  looking  out  for  the 
lights,  and  the  more  prudent  went  down  below  when  the  watch  was  called  at  eight 
bells ;  but  many  of  them  were  far  too  much  excited  to  go  to  sleep,  so  they  kept  on  deck 
until  the  morning  dawned,  and  the  grey  fog  lifted  and  showed  them  the  white  cliffs. 
They  believed  that  the  hour  of  freedom  was  at  hand ;  and  although  the  "  iron  grasp  " 
was  light  upon  them,  many  of  the  lads  determined  never  to  let  it  close  round  them 
again.  Unlike  the  marine,  they  %vere  intelligent  fellows,  who  having  once  felt  what 
the  tyranny  of  a  man-of-war  was  like,  knew  too  much  to  place  themselves  within  its 
cruej  power  a  second  time  ;  and  although  "  continuous  and  general  service  men,"  many 
of  them  were,  soon  after  the  Stinger  was  paid  off,  ploughing  the  seas  in  merchant-ships 
bound  for  America  or  the  colonies.  It  was  this  anticipation  which  excited  them,  and 
kept  them  on  deck  through  that  night.  They  remembered  Clare's  punishment,  Dun- 
stable's  death,  and  the  other  atrocities  which  had  been  perpetrated  on  board  by  cruel 
men.  in  command,  and  all  their  subsequent  good  treatment  by  Captain  "Woodward  did 
not  prevent  them  from  thinking  bitterly  of  their  slavery,  particularly  as  a  tyrant  had 
followed  up  his  too  brief  term  of  strict  but  just  command. 

The  Stinger  steamed  up  the  Channel,  and  in  due  time  arrived  at  Spithead,  where 
she  saluted  the  admiral's  flag,  and  having  discharged  her  powder,  entered  Portsmouth 
harbour,  preparatory  to  being  paid  off,  and  by  five  o'clock  on  Saturday  evening  was 
made  fast  to  the  wharf,  upon  which  swarmed  a  crowd  of  relations  and  friends,  ready  t« 
fall  upon,  the  crew,  and,  if  not  prevented  by  the  police,  to  carry  them  off  piecemeal 

Major  Barren  had  landed  when  the  ship  was  at  Spithead,  and  upon  the  Stinger 
arriving  alongside  the  wharf  was  waiting  with  a  carriage  ready  to  take  his  family  to 
the  George  Hotel.  Great  was  the  sensation  when  the  mob  beheld  a  lady  led  on  shore 
by  Captain  Tortle,  followed  by  a  French  bonne  carrying  a  pretty  blue-eyed  baby;  but 
when  Cops  made  her  appearance  in  the  arms  of  Mr.  Thompson— and  that  charming 
young  lady  kissed  her  hand  to  the  crowd— all  the  mothers  present,  and  there  were  n  t 
a  few,  cried  "Bless  her  little  heart  ?"  and  the  spinsters,  and  other  females,  looked  at  the 
innocent  face,  thought  of  their  own  childhood,  and,  bad  as  seme  "of  them  were,  said, 
"Pretty  darling,  aint  she  lovely?"  the  acting-boatswain  by  his  looks  almost  resenting 
any  encomiums  passed  by  the  latter  speakers. 

When  Captain  Tortle  had  landed  her  mamma  into  the  carriage,  he  turned  to  Cops  as 
if  intending  to  take  her  from  her  friend,  but  she  resolutely  refused  to  allow  him  to  touch 
her,  upon  seeing  which  the  mob  laughed  and  the  women  cried,  "  Well  done,  pretty  dear ! ' 
Tortle's  disposition  being  known  to  the  people,  who  were  well  posted  in  the  peculiarities 
of  most  naval  officers  of  rank.  Mr.  Thompson  having  placed  his  tyrant  in  the  carriage, 


216  BLUE  JACKETS  I  OR  THE  ADVENTURES  OF 

was  rewarded  with  a  kiss,  after  which,  to  the  further  admiration  of  the  crowd,  the 
Major  and  Mrs.  Barren  shook  hands  with  him,  and  the  vehicle  was  driven  away  amid 
the  deafening  cheers  of  the  mob,  who  considered  such  an  act  of  condescension  required 
a  special  mark  of  their  approbation. 

When  the  passengers  had  departed,  Captain  Tortle  returned  to  his  ship  and  informed 
tho  crew  that,  in  consequence  of  some  orders  received  from  the  Admiralty  but  a  few 
moments  before,  it  was  decided  that  the  ship  was  to  proceed  to  Woolwich  to  pay  off, 
and  as  it  would  prevent  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  the  admiral  had  ordered  that  the  men 
were  not  to  have  leave,  as  the  ship  was  to  start  early  on  Monday  morning,  but  from  8 
o'clock  A.M.  until  8  o'clock  P.M.  the  next  day  their  friends  and  relations  would  be 
allowed  to  come  on  board  to  see  them. 

This  information  was  anticipated  by  the  crew,  who  were,  upon  the  ship's  arrival 
alongside  the  wharf,  told  of  the  facts  by  the  mob,  wrho  seemed  to  know  all  about  it.  So 
upon  receiving  their  letters  and  getting  sundry  presents  from  their  friends,  and  a  supply 
of  beer  on  board,  they  kept  tolerably  quiet,  and  the  dockyard  police  having  cleared  the 
wharf,  by  eight  o'clock  that  night,  thy  Stinger  was  as  still  as  a  graveyard. 

At  six  o'clock  the  next  morning  the  crew  were  turned  out,  and  after  they  had 
scrubbed  and  washed  decks,  stowed  their  hammocks,  put  all  the  ornamental  work  round 
the  wheel,  capstan,  and  gangways,  and  generally  decorated  the  ship,  they  were  piped 
to  church,  and  for  the  first  time  since  the  battle  of  Chow-chan  received  the  benefit  of 
the  regular  clergy,  and  as  their  thoughts  wandered  elsewhere,  proved  anything  but  a 
devotional  flock.  It  is  true  under  the  generous  Woodward  the  prayers  of  the  Estab- 
lished Church  were  regularly  read  to  them  once  a  week,  but  "  The  Articles  of  War" 
having  been  substituted  for  religious  service  by  Tortle,  the  crew  had  fallen  iato 
indifference,  and  the  only  effect  produced  by  the  clergyman  was  a  tendency  to  doze  on 
the  part  of  the  boys,  while  the  men  looked  as  if  they  were  swearing  instead  of  repeating 
the  responses. 

Church  being  over,  the  pipe  went  for  breakfast,  and  various  presents  received  from 
friends  on  shore  were  duly  paraded  in  the  messes.  One  old  quarter-master  produced  a 
plum-pudding  large  and  heavy  enough  to  give  an  elephant  a  fit  of  indigestion;  while 
another  served  out  red  herrings  to  all  his  less  fortunate  messmates  who  were  unprovided 
with  wives  to  send  them  off  such  delicacies.  Some  paraded  fat  pork  sausages  or  hand- 
kerchiefs full  of  apples,  while  many  a  sly  nip  of  grog,  sent  on  board  in  skins  secreted  in 
the  food,  was  swigged  by  the  knowing  ones,  who  imagined  the  nasty  stuff  to  be  nectar, 
because  it  was  surreptitiously  obtained.  Every  one  was«in  good  humour,  and,  taking 
It  altogether,  considered  the  admiralty  order  to  stop  their  leave  was  a  wise  precaution. 

About  a  quarter  before  eight  o'clock  all  those  who  claimed  to  be  the  wives  or  relatives 
of  the  Stingers  were  let  into  the  dockyard,  and  a  mob  of  clamorous  expectants 
Bwarmed  upon  the  wharf,  all  eager  to  see  their  friends  or  to  make  friends  with  those 
they  saw  on  board. 

"  Vy,  Shack,"  screamed  one  gentleman,  whose  every-day  occupation  consisted  in 
celling  sham  jewellery  or  ready-made  clothes  to  half-intoxicated  sailors.  "  Vy,  Shack, 
ma  poy,  how  are  you  ?  " 

"Not  much  better  for  seeing  of  you,  Peter,"  replied  the  man  thus  addressed.  "I 
don't  want  no  more  of  your  tin  watches  and  baggy  trowsers  this  voyage  ; "  hearing 
which,  Peter  turned  his  attention  to  another  sailor. 

A  number  of  policemen  now  arrived,  and  having  forced  their  way  through  the  crowd, 
formed  a  half  circle  round  the  top  of  the  gangway  ladder,  in  order  to  keep  the  unruly 
among  the  mob  from  pouring  on  board  the  ship  en  masse. 

Precisely  as  the  dockyard  bell  struck  eight  the  first  lady  was  passed  on  board,  and 


J.  THOMPSON^  A.  B.,  AMONG  '''THK  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      217 

being  rather  short-sighted,  she,  much  to  her  husband's  annoyance,  saluted  the  wrong 
sailor,  which  caused  no  little  merriment  among  the  others,  and  made  her  partner  growl 
out,  "  I  say,  Peggy,  when  you've  done  with  George  Town  per-haps  you'll  give  me  a 
buss." 

"  Ladies  first,"  cried  the  sergeant  of  marines,  who,  with  the  ship's  corporal,  kept  the 
girls  from  thrusting  each  other  off  the  gangway  into  the  water.  "  Just  ease  a  little, 
mum,  or  you'll  squeeze  that  ere  infant's  life  out,"  he  added,  as  one  brazen-faced  woman, 
who  declared  she  was  the  wife  of  Mister  Stebbings,  A.  B.,  pushed  herself  past  him,  and 
drove  her  way  down  the  ladder. 

Unfortunately  for  the  creature,  the  sergeant  laid  hold  of  the  child,  and  finding  it 
wag  a  dummy,  rudely  snatched  it  from  her  arms,  whereupon  the  ladies  on  the  wharf  set 
up  a  howl  of  indignation. 

"  You  brute  !  "  cried  one,  "  to  serve  a  baby  in  that  manner." 

"  The  wretch  !  "  shrieked  another. 

"  Murder  !  "  screamed  the  lady  who  was  thus  abruptly  deprived  of  her  infant. 

The  sergeant,  after  compelling  the  indignant  woman  to  retrace  her  steps  up  the 
ladder,  handed  her  over  to  the  police,  and  proceeded  to  strip  the  wrappings  off  the 
dummy,  which  process  at  last  brought  to  light  a  large-sized  square  bottle  of  "  Hol- 
Linds,"  seeing  which  the — motlier  swooned  in  the  policeman's  arms,  and  was  carried  to 
the  dock  gates,  where  they  laid  her  outside  to  come  to  as  best  she  might.  "We  need 
scarcely  say  she  recovered  as  soon  as  she  found  herself  out  of  custody. 

The  sergeant's  action  was  quite  correct,  for  were  women  allowed  to  carry  spirits  on 
board  a  man-of-war  the  men  would  be  simply  unmanageable,  and  the  most  strict  search 
has  to  be  instituted  to  prevent  liquor  being  thus  introduced  by  disreputable  characters, 
who  as  long  as  they  can  pillage  the  sailors  do  not  hesitate  to  supply  them  with  the  most 
poisonous  stuff. 

In  any  cases  the  various  friends  were  required  to  name  their  relatives  before  they 
were  allowed  on  board,  although  it  was  not  always  possible  to  get  them  to  speak,  as 
among  this  disreputable  mob  were  many  genuine  mothers,  wives,  and  sweethearts,  and 
Borne  of  those  became  so  agitated  at  the  sight  of  their  relations,  that  they  could  not 
speak,  but  would  point  with  their  fingers  to  the  loved  ones,  and  with  mute  earnestness 
prove  their  claims  were  genuine. 

There  was  much  laughter  when  an  old  woman  would  frantically  embrace  her  equally 
old  man.  The  aged  lovers  in  many  cases  joined  in  the  roar  ;  but  now  and  then  the  faces 
of  all,  both  on  shore  and  on  board,  were  saddened,  as  some  poor  creature  would  come 
forward  and  ask  to  see  a  husband  whom  she  would  never  meet  again  in  this  world. 

Just  after  the  fictitious  baby  had  been  disposed  of  a  respectably  attired  girl  passed 
down  the  gangway  ladder,  and  seeing  Mr.  Thompson,  with  whom  she  formerly  had 
been  acquainted,  she  laughingly  asked  him  where  her  Jem  was. 

"  Your  Jem,  mam  ?     Jem  what  ?  " 

"  Why,  don't  you  know  me  now  you're  promoted  ?  "  (She  saw  he  was  no  longer  a 
common  sailor.)  "  Why,  Jem  Shaw,"  replied  the  woman,  her  mouth  moving  nervously, 
as  if  fearing  to  hear  some  ill  tidings. 

"  God  bless  you,  poor  soul ! — Come  down  into  my  cabin,"  said  the  sympathizing  act- 
ing warrant. 

The  woman  followed  him  as  if  in  a  dream ;  and  when  she  reached  the  cabin,  grasped 
his  arm  and  demanded  if  her  Jem  were  alive  or  not,  bidding  him  out  with  it,  and  not 
kill  her  with  waiting. 

Thompson  turned  his  face  away,  and  in  a  husky  voice  told  her  that  poor  Jem  waa 
dead,  and  had  been  buried  out  in  China. 


218         BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVENTURES  or 

"  Oh !  oh !  "  wailed  the  poor  creature ;  "  my  poor  Jem — oh,  my  poor  dear  man  !  "  and 
then  she  fell  fainting  upon  his  arm. 

Thompson  called  some  women  who  were  sitting  happily  by  the  side  of  their  hus- 
bands, and  told  them  to  see  to  the  helpless  girl.  Then,  having  directed  them  to  give 
her  a  little  brandy,  the  sympathetic  fellow  went  on  deck. 

After  a  time  the  poor  creature  revived,  and,  sending  for  Mr.  Thompson,  was  escorted 
by  him  to  the  dock  gates,  her  eyes  dry  and  tearless,  and  her  heart  feeling  like  a  stone. 
Upon  parting  Jerry  respectfully  bade  her  good-bye,  when  she  turned  her  wan  face 
towards  his,  and,  having  thus  mutely  expressed  her  thankfulness,  walked  slowly 
away. 

This  was  not  the  only  case  where  poor  women  came  to  meet  their  relations,  'and 
found  they  were  no  more,  and  the  scenes  upon  those  occasions  were  most  heart-rending. 
In  this,  as  in  all  other  phases  of  life,  misery  and  happiness  being  side  by  side. 

By  noon  the  ship  was  completely  crammed  with  the  sailors'  visitors,  many  persons 
suddenly  finding  relations  of  whose  existence  they  had  previously  been  unaware. 
Some  of  the  boys  had  no  less  than  seven  uncles  and  aunts,  and  one  old  topman  •was 
claimed  by  five  wives.  These  were,  of  course,  exceptions,  but  upon  an  average  the 
sailors  had  ten  relatives  a-piece,  not  less  than  five  of  these  being  well-known  dealers  in 
clothing,  who  showed  their  joy  at  meeting  their  "  tear  friends  "  by  repeatedly  measur- 
ing them  for  fashionable  suits. 

"  Shest  let  me  measure  you  round  the  vaist  vonce  again,  Villiam,  ma  poy,"  urged 
the  irrepressible  Peter,  who  had  somehow  contrived  to  get  on  board.  "  I  vont  our 
rerkmen  to  fit  you  like  a  glove,  ma  poy." 

The  sailor  so  addressed  submitted  to  the  measuring  process  for  the  fourth  time,  but, 
notwithstanding  this,  he  had  a  sirit  of  clothes  sent  to  him  at  Woolwich,  which  would 
have  fitted  a  man  twice  his  size ;  but  having  foolishly  paid  for  them  beforehand,  had 
no  remedy,  so  he  sold  them  to  a  gentleman  who  strongly  resembled  Peter,  of  whom  he, 
sailor-like,  ordered  another  suit. 

Clare  had  received  a  short  note  from  his  wife,  and  a  portrait  of  his  boy,  and  the 
poor  fellow  was  busily  employed  all  the  afternoon  in  writing  a  long  letter  to  Polly,  in 
which  he  communicated  his  friend's  good  fortune,  and  informed  her  of  his  intention  of 
paying  Jerry  a  visit  when  the  latter  should  be  settled  in  his  new  home. 

Upon  the  day  after  they  arrived  in  harbour  Mr.  Thompson  received  the  following 
unsigned  note :  and.  as  he  imagined  that  it  came  from  Mary  Ann,  it  somewhat  revived 
his  feeble  attachment. 

"  Jfo.  34,  West  Ddacour  Street, 

"  Portsmouth. 
"  DEAR  MR.  THOMPSON, 

"  We  shall  be  pleased  to  see  you  to  tea  to-night,  at  five  o'clock." 

His  heart  now  beat  quickly,  and  a  hundred  little  reminiscences  of  his  old  sweetheart 
came  into  his  mind.  "  Well,  she  is  right  not  to  be  too  forward  :  she  is  a  good  girl,"  he 
thought;  "so  I'll  go  on  shore  and  pop  the  question  this  evening,  and  if  all  goes 
smoothly  she  can  join  me  at  Woolwich,  and  we  will  get  married.  Then  I  shall  be  done 
for,  and  can  start  life  ashore  as  a  respectable  individual." 

About  four  o'clock  Jerry,  having  dressed  himself  in  his  best  uniform,  left  the  ship 
in  company  with  the  carpenter  and  gunner,  and  after  partaking  of  a  friendly  glass  of 
ale,  the  trio  parted,  he  to  ascertain  his  fate,  they  to  visit  their  friends  and  relations. 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG    "  THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE/'  219 

Mr.  Thompson  walked  quickly  to  the  street,  which  was  in,  to  him,  a  new  locality  ; 
and  having  peered  at  the  numbers  on  one  side  of  the  way,  was  returning  down  the 
other  when  a  door  opened,  and  Mary  Ann  stepped  forth,  bearing  in  her  arms  a  chubby- 
looking  baby,  who,  seeing  Jerry,  crowed,  kicked  its  little  legs,  and  cried  "  Dad-da  ;" 
when,  without  waiting  for  a  recognition  from  her,  the  excited  fellow  rushed  forward, 
and  catching  Mary  Ann  round  the  waist,  imprinted  a  hearty  smack  upon  her  lips,  and 
cried,  "  Why,  Mary  Ann,  my  dear  gal,  how  are  you  ?  " 

"  Gr-r-acious  evengs  !  why,  it's  Jerry !  "  said  the  blushing  girl.  "  "Why— how— did 
— you — come—  here  ?  " 

Hearing  this  a  smartly-dressed  young  man  stepped  out  upon  the  pavement,  and 
seeing  the  visitor,  coolly  walked  up  to  him,  and  taking  his  hand,  said,  "  Welcome  home, 
old  chap,  she's  a  waiting  for  you  up-stairs." 

By  this  time  Mary  Ann  had  somewhat  recovered  her  composure  ;  so,  turning  to  her 
old  flame,  she  welcomed  him  home  ;  then,  with  a  sly  twinkle  in  her  eyes,  begged  to- 
introduce  him  to  her  husband,  Mr.  Joseph  Jenkins. 

*'  Why,  d-d-dear  me,  if  it  ain't  the  carpenter!  "  cried  the  astonished  acting-warrant; 
"  and  that  little  cheerup,  is  he  or  sfte  your'n  ?  " 

Mary  Ann  nodded,  and  smilingly  observed  that  they  had  another  at  home — a  boy — 
older  than  that  one,  and  they  had  named  him  Jerry,  out  of  compliment  to  him,  thinking- 
he  was  dead. 

"  So  you're  married,  and  have  got  a  family,  and  a  good  husband,  have  you,  Mary 
Ann  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Thompson,  as  good  a  husband  as  ever  a  woman  were  blessed  with." 

"  Being  so,  I  can't  marry  you,"  he  continued  in  a  dreamy  manner.  "But,  Mrs.  Mary 
Ann,  as  I'm  going  to  get  married  somehow,  can  you  recommend  me  to  a  nice  young 
gal ;  I  feel  mighty  lonely  now  you're  out  of  the  w;t\ ." 

Mrs.  Jenkins  laughed,  and  having  shaken  hands  with  him,  pointed  to  the  sign  over  the 
shop  before  which  they  were  standing,  and  observed,  "  There's  a  lady  who  will  be  proud 
to  see  you,  Mr.  Thompson ;  "  then  motioning  to  her  husband  to  say  good-bye,  she  passed 
up  the  street. 

"  Mrs.  Shever,  Dressmaker,  Ladies'  own  materials  made  np,"  read  the  somewhat 
bewildered  Thompson.  "  Well,  she  always  was  a  kind-hearted  one,  so  I'll  call  upon  her 
and  tell  her  how  I  am  situated." 

At  that  moment  a  smart  servant-girl  peeped  forth  as  if  to  reconnoitre,  but  seeing 
Mr.  Thompson  withdrew  again,  and  shut  the  door  with  a  bang ;  upon  which  Jerry 
pulled  the  bell  and  lifted  the  knocker,  directions  to  that  effect  being  given  over  the 
handle  of  the  former. 

"  After  some  delay  the  domestic  appeared  at  the  door,  and,  looking  at  the  visitor  a* 
if  she  had  never  seen  him  in  her  life,  sweetly  murmured,  "  What  do  you  want,  sir  '(  " 

"  Does  Mrs.  Shever  live  here  ?  " 

"  Yes  sir." 

"  Is  she  at  home  ?  " 

•'  I  don't  know,  sir.     Will  you  please  give  me  your  card  ?  " 

Now,  Jerry  thought  it  rather  a  joke  for  Mrs.  Shever  to  require  her  visitors  to  send 
up  their  cards,  so,  although  he  knew  better,  he  pulled  out  an  article  bearing  the  m.mo 
of  "  Edwin  Lass,  Bootmaker.  Repairs  neatly  executed  on  the  shortest  notice,"  and 
having  deposited  it  in  a  plated  salver,  which  the  girl  produced  from  under  her  apron, 
was  requested  to  walk  in  and  wait  in  the  "drawering  room,"  until  she  found  out  if 
nissis  was  at  home. 

Thompson  seated  himself  on  a  sofa  and  laughed,  as  he  thought  how  very  stylish 


220  BLUE   JACKETS  ;    OK,    THE   ADVEMTKKS    OF 

Mrs.  Shever  luid  become,  when  all  of  a  sudden  the  door  was  opened  and  in  walked  the 
boatswain's  widow,  who  without  more  ado  tottered  towards  him,  uttered  a  little  squeal, 
and  fainted  in  his  arms. 

"  Poor  creature  !  why,  it's  too  much  for  her,"  he  cried.  "  Here,  Mary — Eliza — 
what's  your  name  ?  bring  some  vinegar  and  brown  paper." 

Finding  the  smart  servant  was  out  of  hearing,  and  Mrs.  Shever's  rosy  lips  being  in 
<jlose  proximity  to  his  own,  Mr.  Thompson  thoughtlessly  imprinted  a  kiss  upon  them ! 
.and  the  first  gentle  pressure  proving  ineffectual,  repeated  the  application  until  the  lady 
found  he  began  to  weary,  upon  which  she  recovered  from  her  faint,  and  allowed  him  to 
lead  her  to  the  sofa. 

After  passing  her  right  hand  several  times  across  her  forehead,  as  if  recovering  from 
a  dream,  the  boatswain's  widow  suddenly  ejaculated,  "  Am.  I  awake  ?  " 

"  I  believe  you  are,  my  dear  Mrs.  S.,"  replied  the  somewhat  amused  sailor.  "  Would 
you  like  a  little  cold  water  sprinkled  over  your  face  ?  " 

"Oh,  dear  me,  no,  Mr.  Thompson,"  cried'  she,  fearing  he  would  spoil  her  dress. 
41  I'm  all  right  now  ;  I  fear  I  fainted." 

"  You  went  off  like  a  shot,  mum ;  but  I'm  glad  you're  all  right,  as  I  ain't  up  to  this 
sort  of  performance.  I  were  just  a  going  to  burn  them  things  under  your  nose,"  cried 
he  pointing  to  some  peacock's  feathers  which  ornamented  a  mirror  hanging  over  the 
ii  replace.  "  I've  heard  they  are  first-rate  for  highstayricks." 

"  Can  he  be  indifferent  to  me  ?  No,  surely  he  will  be  only  too  glad  to  marry  me," 
thought  the  boatswain's  widow,  "but  I'll  be  more  distant,  and  draw  him  out." — 
*'  Would  you  like  to  have  some  music,  Mr.  Thompson  ?  " 

'•  Werry  much  indeed,  mum.  Have  you  a  hand  organ,  or  do  that  work  by 
machinery  ?  "  inquired  Jerry,  pointing  to  a  cottage  piano,  which  stood  on  the  other 
»ide  of  the  room. 

Mrs.  Shever  gave  a  peculiar  little  laugh,  as  if  to  hide  her  chagrin ;  then  rising1 
majestically,  rustled  to  the  piano,  and  having  perpetrated  some  preliminary  attempts, 
at  last  managed  to  finger  her  way  through  a  simple  air,  although,  in  spite  of  her 
endeavours  to  check  herself,  she  would  every  now  and  then  audibly  utter  "one!  tvro! 
three  !  "  which  caused  Mr.  Thompson  to  remark  that  she  might  just  as  well  give  him 
the  whole  of  the  words  out  loud,  as  he  was  fond  of  hearing  a  lady  sing. 

Having  concluded  the  performance,  which  was  the  result  of  long  study  on  her  part, 
and  much  patience  on  that  of  her  music  mistress,  the  boatswain's  widow  returned  to 
the  sofa,  and,  notwithstanding  the  entreaty  of  her  visitor,  wisely  declined  to  repeat 
what  he  called  the  ceremony. 

"Now,  Mrs.  Shever  wanted  to  bring  Jerry  to  a  declaration  ;  and,  as  she  had  invited 
Mary  Ann  and  her  husband  to  return  to  supper,  having  no  doubt  but  that  Mr. 
Thompson  would  propose  to  her  before  they  arrived,  began  to  get  a  little  fidgetty,  so, 
in  order  to  lead  him  on,  she  asked  why  he  had  called  upon  her. 

'^Well,  you  see,  my  dear  Mrs.  Shever,  wot  with  that  poor  gal  a  fainting  in  my  cabin 
this  morning — " 

"  Oh,  false  man,  false  man  ! "  murmured  the  lady,  bashfully  reclining  her  head  upon 
his  shoulder. 

"  No,  marm,  I  were  not  false." 

"  I  know  that,  I  know  that.  You  are  too  noble,  too  generous  to  be  false.  It  was 
her  own  fault." 

"  No,  it  warn't.     How  could  she  help  losing  her  husband  ?  " 

"  Oh,"  cried  Mrs.  Shever,  seeing  she  had  made  a  mistake,  "  of  course  she  couldn't 
lielp  it,  poor  soul." 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,    AMONG     "THE    HEATHEN    CHINEE."  221 

""Well,  first  that  occurred,  and  made  me  feel  us  unhappy  as  if  she  had  been  my 
own  wife." 

"  You  ain't  married,  are  you  ?  "  exclaimed  the  buxom  widow,  raising  her  head  in 
alarm. 

"  "Why,  bless  your  kind  heart,  no.  I've  come  here  to  ask  your  advice.  I  find  Mary 
Ann  hasn't  kept ;  so,  knowing  you  are  a  motherly  sort  of  a  soul,  I  come  to  ask  you 
what  you  would  advise  me  to  do." 

Mrs.  Shever  did  not  much  relish  the  term  "  motherly  sort  of  a  soul ; "  but,  relying 
upon  her  powers  of  entanglement,  she  let  him  run  on. 

"  I'm  young  and  have  good  prospects,  and  all  I  want  is  to  meet  with  a  girl 
who  is  honest  and  good,  and  who  will  be  as  true  to  me  as  I  will  be  to  her.  I've  got  a 
first-rate  berth  qn  shore,  and  can  afford  to  keep  a  wife,  so  I  means  to  have  one.  I  have 
loved  a  woman,  who  is  now  better  off,  in  such  a  way  as  I  shall  never  love  again."  Here 
Jerry's  eye  moistened  a  little.  "  But  I  promise  that  whoever  I  gets  married  to  now  I 
will  stick  to,  and  do  my  best  to  make  her  happy.  But  one  thing  I  must  bargain  for. 
I  must  take  care  of  my  little  boy,  and  she  must  be  one  as  will  look  kindly  on  him." 

"  I'll  forgive  you  that,"  cried  the  delighted  widow.  "  Oh,  Jerry,  there  ain't  many 
men  like  you.  The  boy  will  not  stand  in  the  way." 

"  "When  his  poor  father  dies — " 

"  I  hope  he'll  be  spared  many  years.  Oh,  Jerry,  don't  talk  about  dying  upon  such 
a  happy  occasion  as  this,"  cried  the  sympathetic  woman,  the  tears  streaming  down  her 
face. 

"  But,  my  dear  creature,  we  must  look  forward  to  it ;  life  is  short,  and  we  must 
prepare  for  such  things  ;  "  saying  which  he  drew  forth  his  bandana,  and  gently  wiped 
her  eyes.  "  I've  promised  to  be  a  father  to  poor  little  Tom,  and  I'll  keep  my  word  ;  ani 
my  wife  must  be  a  mother  to  him." 

"  She  will,  she  will  do  that,"  sobbed  the  happy  one  through  her  tears,  although  she 
inwardly  hoped  the  child  was  old  enough  to  walk,  as  she  hated  babies. 

"  And  now  you  knows  how  I  am  situated.  Do,  my  dear  Mrs.  Shever,  tell  me  what 
you  think  I  ought  to  do ;  and  if  you  knows  a  gal  as  will  suit  me,  introduce  me,  and  I'll 
be  your  everlasting  debtor." 

The  boatswain's  widow  was  somewhat  nonpulsed  by  his  obtuseness,  but  knowing- 
it  was  "  now  or  never,"  she  motioned  him  to  take  a  seat  before  her  ;  then,  averting-  her 
face,  spoke  as  follows  : — 

«  Je hem  !  Mr.  Thompson,  I  have  long  looked  forward  to  this  here  day,  and  antici- 
pated the  pleasure  of  your  society."  (This  was  correctly  delivered,  all  but  the  here, 
according  to  "  The  book  of  Etiquette  for  Modern  society.")  "  I  knowed  "  (here  she  for- 
got her  text,  but  feeling  equal  to  the  occasion,  spoke  her  own  sentiments)  '•  you  were 
always  a  manly,  beautiful-disposed,  noble,  generous,  A  1,  first-rate  young  feller,  and  I 
felt  very  much  disgusted  with  some  people  when  I  found  they  didn't  wait  for  you,  and 
that  it  was  throwing  purl  before  swine  for  you  to  be  constant  to  them." 

"  You're  werry  good,  marm."  Jerry  winced  a  little  at  the  last  part  of  her  re- 
mark. 

"  I  thought,  here  is  a  generous  heart  wot  will  be  chucked  away  on  some  good-for- 
nothing  baggage  as  soon  as  he  lands  if  I  don't  do  my  best  for  him." 

"  How  kind  of  you  !"  murmured  Jerry,  looking  at  the  averted  face  with  a  somewhat 
astonished  air.  "  Go  on,  marm  ;  go  on.  I  can  bear  it." 

'•  "Well,  my  dear  Je— Mr.  Thompson,  knowing,  as  I  said  before,  that  some  one  had; 
although  I  say  it  of  my  own  sister,  married  a  common  carpenter,  after  she  had  leva 
pertickler  warned  not  to  do  so  by— one  who  is  worth  a  cart-load  of  sich— knowing  ;ill 


222  BLUE   JACKETS  ;     OBj    THE    ADVENTURES    OF 

this,  I  felt  for  you,  and  determined  to  do  everything  in  ray  power  to  make  you  happy 
on  your  return." 

"  You're  werry,  werry  kind,  marm,  "  mournfully  observed  her  visitor. 

"  Yes,  and,  my  dear  Jerry — Forgive  ine  ealling  you  so." 

"  I  forgive  you.  There,  go  on,"  cried  the  now  wondering  acting  warrant,  taking 
her  hand  by  way  of  encouraging  her  to  proceed. 

"  Well,  my  dear  Jerry,  when  I  looked  around  me,  I  wondered  where  I  could  find  a 
virtuous,  good-looking  girl,  suitable  to  your  mind — " 

"  That's  poetry,  dear  friend,  ain't  it  ?"  put  in  her  visitor. 

"  I  saw  painted  faces,  false  figgers,  flaunting  airs,  brazen-nosed  impudence,  and, 
nothing  but  sham — all — everywhere." 

There  ain't  much  sham  about  you,"  admiringly  observed  Thompson,  glancing  at 
her  tightly-fitting  silk  dress,  which  set  off  her  buxom  figure  to  great  advantage. 

Mrs.  Shever  pretended  not  to  hear  this  compliment,  but  continued — "  Well,  dear 
Jerry,  I  saw  all  this,  and  I  said  to  myself,  '  Now,  I  wonder  if  some  good,  kind,  loving, 
devoted,  amiable,  not  bad-looking,  affectionate,  well-to-do  girl  were  to  be  willing — 
•would  he — make  her  a  offer  ?  ' " 

At  this  juncture  the  face  of  Thompson,  who  now  began  to  what  is  vulgarly  termed 
"  smell  a  rat,"  assumed  a  roguish  expression,  and,  quietly,  pushing  his  finger  into  her 
side,  he  laughingly  observed,  "  I  say,  Missis  S.,  you  don't  mean  to  say  you  want  to 
sacrifice  yourself  agin,  do  you  ?  " 

Mrs.  Shever  blushed  violently,  but  being  determined  to  carry  it  through,  she  fell 
into  his  arms,  called  him  her  own  Jerry,  and  vowed  he  was  a  perfect  "  Dom  Juam."  • 

Thompson  quietly  unwound  the  somewhat  impulsive  lady,  and  having  placed  the 
table  between  them,  was  about  to  speak,  when  Mrs.  Shever,  finding  her  shots  had  fallen 
wide,  and  ly?aring  Mary  Ann's  voice  in  the  hall,  suddenly  assumed  a  severe  air,  and 
ordered  him  to  leave  the  apartment.  ^ 

"  You  quit,  sir,  and  never  dare  insult  me  "  (here  the  door  was  opened,  and  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Jenkins  looked  wonderingly  in)  "  in  my  own  house  again.  Begone,  false  serpent, 
and  lay  your  base  snares  for  some  other  innocent  heart !  Villain,  I  scorn  you  !  Clear 
out,  or  I  send  for  a  police  to  remove  you  from  my  premises." 

"  Wot's  the  row  ?  "  demanded  the  carpenter,  looking  at  Jerry,  as  if  he  would  like  to 
challenge  him  to  mortal  combat. 

"  That  base  man  has  insulted  me,"  screamed  the  boatswain's  widow,  who  then 
pretended  to  faint,  thinking  the  gentlemen  would  now  settle  the  affair  by  an  appeal 
to  arms. 

"  Come,  come,  'Melia,  this  won't  do,"  put  in  Mary  Ann  ;  "  you  know  Mr.  Thompson 
don't  care  for  you,  and  never  did ;  and  you've  set  your  cap  at  him,  and  have  been 
refused,  and  serve  you  right." 

"  Did  you  write  this  poetry  to  me,  Mrs.  Mary  Ann  ?  "  demanded  the  acting  warrant, 
producing  Mrs.  Shever's  poetical  effusion. 

"  No,  Mr.  Thompson,  I  didn't,"  emphatically  replied  th»  lady. 

"  Did  you  write  this  ere  letter  to  me  ? "  handing  her  the  note  which  he  had 
received  that  morning. 

"  No,  Mr.  Thompson,  I'll  swear  I  didn't.  I  don't  write  no  letters  to  young  men  now 
I'm  married." 

Finding  matters  were  going  against  her,  and  not  wishing  for  any  further  explanation, 
Mrs.  Shever  got  up  from  the  Bofa,  dried  her  eyes,  and  walking  to  Mrs.  Jenkins  kissed 
her  affectionately,  and  begged  she  would  not  say  any  more  about  it,  as  she  had  been 
very  foolish,  and  now  saw  through  her  folly.  Then,  turning  to  Jerry,  asked  him,  for 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      223 

the  Bake  of  old  times,  and  him  as  was  dead  and  gone,  to  forgive  her,  and  forget  she  had 
been  such  a  fool. 

Thompson  gladly  made  up  matters,  and  explained  to  the  still  somewhat  bewildered 
Jenkins  that  he  felt  the  greatest  admiration  for  both  the  ladies  present, — one  being 
still  an  out-and-out  handsome  woman,  and  as  such  to  be  admired  by  the  opposite  sex  ; 
while  the  other  was,  to  his  mind,  the  werry  idle  of  a  comely  mother. 

This  somewhat  mixed  compliment  soothed  the  carpenter's  irritated  feelings,  and 
after  a  general  hand-shaking  the  party  proceeded  to  the  supper-table,  where  they 
attacked  the  good  things  in  a  most  praiseworthy  manner,  and  Jerry  sawS^ith  no  little 
amusement  that  her  disappointment  had  not  taken  away  the  widow's  appetite. 

Mrs.  Shever  came  out  quite  nobly,  and  pledged  Mr.  Thompson's  health  in  a  glass  of 
sherry,  wishing  him  speedily  "  a  good  partner ; "  while  Jerry,  not  to  be  outdone, 
toasted  "  The  fair  widow,  and  may  she  soon  agin  be  a  happy  wife."  Of  course  there 
was  no  allusion  to  her  little  mistake,  and  the  casual  visitors  who  dropped  in  imagined 
it  was  "  all  right,"  and  were  a  few  days  afterwards  much  astonished  to  hear  that  Mrs. 
Shever  had  changed  her  mind. 

The  buxom  widow  did  not  fret  about  her  failure,  but  went  into  society,  and  turned 
men's  heads  with  such  success  that  in  a  few  weeks  the  "  Portsmouth  Times  "  had  th« 
following  announcement  in  its  list  of  marriages  : — 

"  On  the  23rd  instant,  at  Mount  Hope  Chapel,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Barryl,  Amelia, 
widow  of  the  late  Mr.  Henry  Shever,  formerly  of  H.  M.  Royal  Navy,  to  Orlando 
Buffers,  an  eminent  retired  grocer  of  this  place." 

Mr.  Thompson  walked  down  to  Lis  ship,  pondering  upon  the  vanity  of  all  things, 
and  of  Mrs.  Shever  in  particular ;  and  as  he  turned  in  that  night  vowed  he  would  shun 
the  sex  in  future,  as  there  was  no  one  in  the  world  like  A-tae,  and  he  was  tired  of  the 
women. 


224  BLUE  JACKETS;  OK,  THE  ADVKNTUKES  OF 


CHAPTER  XXVTIL 

ACCORDING  to  Captain  Tortlc's  instructions,  about  six  o'clock  on  Monday  morning 
the  Stinger's  warps  were  cast  off,  and  she  slowly  left  the  wharf  at  Portsmouth,  and 
steamed  out  of  the  harbour  upon  her  way  to  Woolwich. 

Early  as  was  the  hour,  a  number  of  people  witnessed  her  departure  ;  a  few  of  the 
more  persevering  ones  taking  a  waterman's  boat  and  following  in  her  wake  across  the 
harbour  ;  as  if  imagining  some  unlucky  sailor  might  fall  overboard  and  be  picked  up 
by  them,  when  they  would  have  an  opportunity  of  selling  him  a  suit  of  clothes. 

These  gentry  were  loud  in  their  denunciation  of  the  Admiralty's  decision,  considc'r- 
ing  that  as  the  Stinger  fitted  out  at  Woolwich,  and  their  brothers  had  the  glorious 
opportunity  of  swindling  the  crew  upon  that  occasion,  it  would  only  be  common  jnst  j::e 
for  her  to  pay  off  at  Portsmouth  ;  and  they  looked  at  the  retreating  ship,  and  clawed 
their  beards  with  rage,  their  feelings,  no  doubt,  very  much  resembling  those  of  an 
ardent  angler,  who,  after  having  played  with  a  fine  trout  for  some  time,  sees  his 
anticipated  victim  quietly  wag  its  tail,  and  make  the  best  of  its  way  into  deep  water. 

"  Now,  vot  ish  do  use  of  us  going  to  de  expensh  ov  dish  poat  ? "  grumbled  an 
unhappy-visaged  young  fellow,  who  sported  a  dog's-eared-looking  suit  of  clothes,  and 
smelt  villainously  of  bad  tobacco.  "  Vot  ish  de  use  of  all  dish  foolishness  ?  " 

"  Mn  friend ! ''  exclaimed  a  venerable  old  man,  who  was  holding  on  to  the  seat,  and 
apparently  saying  his  "  prayers  at  sea  in  a  time  of  danger," — "  Ma  friend,  dish  is  a  put 
op  schob  of  Peter's,  who  sent  us  out  here  vile  he  starts  for  Voolvich — tie  pay  and  he 
gets  de  penefit — so  I  votes  ve  leave  h''m  to  settle  vith  de  vatermau." 

Upon,  hearing  this  observation  the  watermen  ceased  rowing,  and  demanded  their 
fare ;  whereupon  the  passengers  reluctantly  drew  forth  their  purses,  and,  under  threat 
of  "  being  chucked  overboard  if  they  did  not  pony  up  at  once,"  after  much  squabbling 
among  themselves,  made  up  the  sum  required  by  the  boatmen,  who  then  leisurely  pro- 
ceeded to  pull  towards  the  landing-place. 

In  due  time  the  Stinger  reached  Woolwich,  where  she  was  immediately  taken  into 
dock.  The  ship  being  what  is  termed  "  paid  off  all  standing,"  beyond  returning  the 
running  rigging  into  store,  her  crew  had  very  little  to  do,  and  by  noon  on  the  day  of 
arrival  were  cleaned  and  ready  for  inspection. 

Cravan  was  all  fuss  and  worry, — nothing  went  right, — and  in  his  anxiety  that  the 
men  should  present  a  particularly  smart  appearance,  had  mustered  and  drilled  them 
into  a  bad  temper.  The  sailors  knew  there  was  no  necessity  for  his  absurd  orders,  and 
did  not  show  much  alacrity  in  obeying  him. 

About  one  o'clock  a  midshipman,  who  had  been  stationed  in  front  of  the  superin- 
tendent's office,  rushed  down  to  the  ship  and  announced  that  the  expected  visitors  were 
coming,  which  news  was  immediately  reported  to  the  commander,  who  went  on  deck 
and  proceeded  to  the  gangway,  where  he  awaited  the  arrival  of  the  commodore  and  his 
staff. 

As  the  party  neared  the  ship,  the  crew,  who  were  mustered  for  inspection,  noticed 
their  old  commander  Woodward  was  one  of  the  number,  and  had  they  d  ired  would 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      225 

have  received  him  with  a  ringing  cheer  ;  as  it  was,  they  had  to  content  themselves  with 
smiling  at  him  .whenever  they  could  catch  his  eye. 

Mr.  Thompson  was  in  attendance  at  the  gangway,  and  in  his  delight  at  beholding 
his  favourite  captain  executed  such  an  extraordinary  "  pipe,"  that  "Woodward  could 
not  avoid  smiling ;  thus  encouraged,  Jerry  redoubled  his  efforts,  and  finished  off  with  a 
most  artistic  flourish. 

After  the  various  officers  had  been  introduced  to  the  commodore,  and  the  ship  had 
been  officially  inspected,  the  mustering  of  the  crew  commenced,  Clare  being  one  of  the 
first  men  to  answer  to  his  name  and  pass  in  review  before  the  venerable  official. 

Tom  had  replaced  his  cap  and  was  again  mingling  with  the  men  when  Captain 
Woodward  spoke  to  the  commodore,  and  Clare  was  recalled  and  thus  addressed  by 
him  : — 

"  Thomas  Clare,  captain's  coxswain,  I  am  directed  by  the  Lords  Commissioners  of 
the  Admiralty  to  express  to  you  their  lordships'  appreciation  of  your  gallant  con- 
duct upon  the  occasion  when  H.M.S.  Stinger  was  threatened  with  destruction  by 
fire-junks,  and  to  hand  you  a  gratuity  of  ten  pounds.  Your  bravery  has  been  especially 
brought  beforo  their  notice  by  your  late  commander,  Captain  Woodward,  and  it  is  to 
his  kindness  you  owe  their  recognition  of  your  good  services." 

Upon  hearing  this  speech  the  crew  gave  a  hearty  cheer,  which  was  allowed  to  pass 
unnoticed  by  the  worthy  commodore. 

Tom  received  the  money,  and  respectfully  thanked  the  giver ;  but  the  gathering  of 
officers  recalled  his  court-martial  too  forcibly  to  his  memory,  and  although  he  knew  he 
ought  to  feel  pleased,  the  affair  rather  depressed,  him  than  otherwise. 

Before  the  commodore  left  the  ship  Captain  Woodward  spoke  to  Mr.  Thompson,  but 
finding  Jerry  did  not  intend  remaining  in  the  service,  asked  him  what  he  could  do  to 
serve  him  in  any  other  way. 

"  Ask  the  commodore  to  give  me  leave  to  go  home  with  Clare,  sir ;  he  wants  looking 
after,"  begged  the  good-natured  fellow. 

Captain  Woodward  promised  to  speak  for  him ;  and  although,  usually,  warrant-offi- 
cers are  not  allowed  to  leave  the  ship  until  their  stores  are  returned  and  examined,  so 
powerful  was  Woodward's  intercession,  that  the  next  day,  before  the  men  were  paid 
off,  Mr.  Thompson  received  the  required  permission,  with  orders  to  return  at  the 
expiration  of  four  days. 

Inspection  being  over,  the  commodore  took  his  departure,  Captain  Woodward  re- 
maining on  board  the  ship. 

After  partaking  of  Captain  Tortle's  hospitality,  Woodward  went  on  the  quarter- 
deck, and  requested  Cravan  to  send  for  Clare,  and  several  other  men.  Obedient  to 
the  summons,  the  delighted  sailors  at  once  hurried  aft,  and  each  received  a  present 
from  the  generous  captain.  When  Clare  presented  himself,  Woodward  held  out  his 
hand  and  kindly  asked  him  if  he  had  heard  from  his  wife,  and  whether  he  had  got  over 
his  old  complaint. 

Tom  looked  at  his  friend,  and  replied  in  a  most  animated  manner,  that  he  was  all 
right,  and  hoped  to  see  his  wife  the  next  day. 

"There's  a  slight  token  of  my  esteem  for  you,  Clare,"  said  Woodward  handing 
him  a  package  containing  a  handsome  silver  watch  and  chain.  "  I  beg  you  will 
accept  this  as  a  proof  of  my  appreciation  of  your  noble  act.  Is  there  anything  I  can  do 
for  you  besides  ?  " 

"  No,  th— thank  ^>u,  sir,— you're  too  good;  I  don't  deserve  this.  I  thank  you  very 
much  indeed.  My  wife  will  be  so  proud  of  this.  It  makes  me  feel  a  man  agin.  I  can 
hold  up  my  head  arter  this." 

15 


226  BLUE   JACKETS  J    OK,    THE   ADVENTUKES    OF 

Cravan,  who  stood  near,  sneered  at  the  proceeding  as  openly  as  he  dared  ;  but  the 
malicious  look  was  lost  on  Clare,  who  opened  the  parcel,  and  found  the  following  en- 
graved upon  the  back  of  the  watch : 


THOMAS  CLARE, 

CAPTAIN'S  COXSWAIN. 

For  Bravery. 

He  having  at  the  risk  of  his  life,  single-handed,  saved  H.M.S.  Stinger  from 
'destruction  by  fire-junks  in  the  Canton  River,  on  the of 18 — , 

Presented  to  him  as  a  mark  of  esteem, 

by 
CAPTAIN  PAUL.  WOODWARD,  R.N. 

Captain  "Woodward  further  informed  the  happy  fellow,  that  if  at  any  time  he 
wanted  a  friend,  and  would  let  him  know,  he  would  be  delighted  to  do  anything  for 
him. 

When  Clare  had  left  the  captain's  presence,  the  latter  proceeded  to  the  gangway 
for  the  purpose  of  leaving  the  ship,  when  his  attention  was  attracted  by  a  deputation  of 
petty-officers,  headed  by  the  "  re-constructed  "  Jemmy  Spry,  who  after  many  salaams, 
addressed  his  old  commander  as  follows : — 

"  Please,  Captain  Woodward,  sir,  would  ye  be  so  kind  as  to  pardon  our  boldness — 
but — beg  your  pardon,  sir,  but  the  men  forward,  sir — wants  to  see — ye  sir.  We  makes- 
so  bold  as  to  ax  if  you  will  be  so  kind  as  to  allow — us  all  to  see  you,  sir." 

Having  consulted  with  Tortle,  who  was  so  "jolly"  that  he  would  have  agreed  to 
anything.  Woodward  returned  to  the  quarter-deck,  and  the  crew  "laid  aft"  and 
heard  him  speak.  After  telling  the  old  hands  how  glad  he  was  to  welcome  them  home,, 
and  having  shaken  hands  with  every  one  of  them,  he  left  the  Stinger,  amidst  the 
cheers  of  the  grateful  fellows,  who  kept  up  their  hurrahs  until  he  was  out  of  sight  and 
hearing. 

When  the' last  "  hip  !  hip  !  "  had  died  away,  the  first  lieutenant  ordered  them  to  be 
"  piped  down,"  and  added,  in  an  undertone,  "  You  yahoos,  I'd  like  to  cheer  Borne  of  you 
with  the  cat." 

Cravan  felt  annoyed  that  the  man  who  had  once  resented  an  insult  from  him, 
should  be  thus  publicly  complimented  upon  the  very  spot  where  tlie  outrage  occurred. 

The  next  morning  the  Stingers  Avere  paid  off,  and  in  a  few  hours  were  on  their  way 
to  their  respective  homes.  When  Clare  left  the  ship  with  his  friend  many  of  the  men 
went  to  the  gangway  to  bid  him  good-bye,  three  cheers  being  given  for  Thompson, 
and  hearty  wishes  expressed  on  all  sides  for  Ids  future  prosperity. 

"  Good-bye,  Mr.  Thompson;  good-bye,  Jerry  ;  good-bye,  old  ship." 

It  will  be  seen  from  this  that  the  crew  were  very  different  men  from  those  who 
manned  the  Stinger  when  she  first  fitted  out.  Captain  Woodward  had  attracted  some 
of  the  best  sailors  in  the  service  to  the  ship,  and,  taking  them  as  a  body,  they  were  as 
fine  a  crew  as  ever  trod  a  deck.  . 

Having  bidden  farewell  to  their  old  shipmates,  Thompson  and  Clare  walked  out  of 
the  dockyard,  and  entering  a  cab  were  conveyed  to  the  railway  station. 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  ClIINEE."     227 

As  they  left  the  dock  gate  Clare  exclaimed,  "  Good-bye,  prison ;  good-bye  slavery. 
Now  for  a  man's  life.  Freedom  and  Polly." 

"  By-the-by,  have  you  heard  from  her  since  you  have  been  here  ? "  demanded 
Thompson. 

Clare  replied  that  he  had  not,  but  thought  it  probable  that  she  had  directed  hex 
letter  to  Portsmouth,  and  that  one  would  arrive  for  him  this  evening  after  he 
left. 

When  they  got  to  the  station  Tom  gazed  wistfully  at  the  telegraph  wires,  and 
observed  to  his  friend,  "  Do  you  think  it  would  cost  more  than  five  shillings  to  send 
her  a  wire  message  ?  I  should  so  much  like  to  let  her  know  that  I  shall  be  home  to- 
night." 

Jerry  said  that  he  didn't  know  what  the  damage  would  be,  but  he'd  soon  find  out, 
so  they  proceeded  to  the  booking-office,  and  ascertained  that  they  could  send  quite  a 
long  message  for  that  sum. 

Clare  took  a  pen,  and,  after  being  assured  by  his  friend  that  what  he  wrote  would 
be  transmitted  word  for  word,  proceeded  to  write  as  follows : — 

"  H.M.S.  Stinger.  Dear  Polly,  We  paid  off  this  morning.  1  witt  be  with  you,  my 
dear,  to-night.  Tour  affectionate  husband,  Tom  Clare." 

Tom  handed  this  to  Jerry,  who  paid  the  sum  demanded,  and  returned  the  receipt  to 
his  friend. 

"  Do  you  think  jist  them  words  will  go — Dear  Polly  ?  Don't  you  think  they  will 
alter  it  ?  " 

"  Lord  bless  your  foolish  old  head !  why,  if  you  wrote  Chinee,  them  ere  clerks 
would  send  it ;  they're  awful  clever.  Why,  they  sends  French  and  German.  Of 
course  they  put  dear ! " 

When  they  arrived  at  the  London  Bridge  Station  they  transferred  their  baggage,  and 
Thompson  sought  out  the  guard,  who  proved  to  be  an  old  school-mate.  To  him  Jerry 
delivered  the  parrot  and  monkey,  with  directions  to  leave  them  at  the  Sandwich  station, 
where  Maxted  the  carrier  would  take  charge  of  and  convey  them  to  his  mother  ;  and  in 
order  that  the  animals  might  not  be  neglected,  he  affixed  the  following  notice  to  their 
•cages : — 

"  Live  animals,  with  care.  Give  iliem  a  drink  if  they  wants  it,  but  don't  blow  ihem  out 
with  mttles." 

The  first  part  of  their  journey  by  the  South  Eastern  Railway  was  a  most  pleasant 
one,  as  they  made  a  number  of  acquaintances. 

Sometimes  Jerry  would  nurse  a  fractious  baby  for  a  weary-looking  mother,  or  take 
charge  of  an  old  woman  while  her  husband  fetched  in  the  baggage.  Then  a  pretty  face 
attracted  his  attention,  and  he  would  sit  and  watch  it  until  the  girl  turned  away  her 
he»d,  or  he  was  called  to  order  by  Tom. 

As  they  neared  their  j  ourney's  end,  Clare  became  very  much  depressed,  frequently 
asking-  the  time,  and  fidgetting  so,  that  Thompson  had  great  difficulty  in  getting  him 
to  reply  to  his  questions ;  however,  at  last  he  roused  himself,  and  recognizing  the  places 
they  were  passing,  became  much  more  communicative. 

"  That's  Sandwich'!  "  he  observed,  pointing  out  a  Dutch-looking  town,  round  which 
the  railroad  wound,  as  if  fearing  if  it  ran  too  close  to  the  old  place  that  it  would  wake 
up  the  Rip  Van  "WinMe-like  inhabitants. 

"  Oh,  that's  Sandwich,  is  it  ?     That's  the  original  and  only  genuine  ham,  mustard, 


228  BLUE   JACKETS  J    OK,    THE   ADVENTURES   OF 

and  bread-and-butter  Sandwich,  is  it  ?    Well,  let  us  get  out  and  have  a  glass  of  ale, 
shall  we,  Tom  ?  " 

"  You  won't  find  no  ale  nearer  than  the  Three  Coltses,"  observed  a  railway  labourer, 
who  had  just  entered  the  carriage.  "  There's  no  beer,  no  nothing  in  that  place,  'cept 
dead  and  buried  people.  The  whole  town  is  gone  to  sleep,  and  nothing  won't  wake 
it  but  a  'lection." 

Hearing  this  remark  the  passengers  laughed,  and  the  speaker  finding  Clare  and  his 
friend  were  sailors,  generously  proffered  his  tin  bottle  of  beer,  which  was  duly  accepted 
by  them. 

"  So  you're  a  Kingsdown  man,  are  you  ?  "  said  Tom,  having  entered  in  to  conversation 
•with  the  navvy.  "  My  wife  lives  at  Kingsdown  ;  her  name  is  Clare.  I'm  Tom  Clare. 
Perhaps  you've  heard  of  me  ?  " 

It  so  happened  that,  although  the  railway  navvy  looked  a  rough  sort  of  a  man,  he 
was  really  very  intelligent ;  a»d  having  heard  of  Tom,  saw  at  a  glance  how  matters 
etood,  and  replied,  "  Oh,  yes,  I  have  heard  of  you.  I'm  glad  to  see  you  back.  You've 
got  a  fine  little  boy." 

"  When  did  you  see  Polly — my  wife — last  ?"  excitedly  demanded  the  sailor. 

"  Here's  Deal ! "  shouted  the  man,  who  thereupon  searched  under  the  seat  for  his 
tools,  and  stopped  all  further  inquiry  on  Tom's  part. 

"  De-al !  D'l !  D'l ! "  bawled  the  porters,  and  the  train  stopped  with  a  jerk,  'which 
nearly  threw  the  occupants  of  the  carriage  off  their  feet. 

In  the  confusion  of  arrival  the  navvy  slipped  away,  and  Clare  was  unable  to  get  any 
more  information. 

Having  engaged  a  fly,  the  friendjs  proceeded  to  Kingsdown,  Jerry  evidently  very 
much  puzzled  at  the  navvy's  manner,  yet  unwilling  to  alarm  Tom.  who  seemed  to  be 
utterly  unconscious  of  anything  but  the  approaching  meeting  with  Polly. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  cottage  it  was  twilight,  and  lights  were  gleaming  from 
the  front  windows.  Thompson  paid  the  driver,  and,  taking  the  baggage,  walked 
up  the  pathway  after  his  friend,  who  had  run  ahead,  and  was  loudly  knocking  at 
the  door. 

"  Why,  they  don't  seem  to  know  we  are  here,"  gasped  Clare. 

At  this  instant  the  door  was  opened,  and  Tom  saw  his  wife's  father,  who,  with 
troubled  face,  exclaimed,  4i  Glad  to  see  you,  poor  fellow  !  Here,  little  Tom,  come,  see 
your  daddy." 

Clare  walked  into  the  room,  and  seeing  his  wife's  mother,  who  was  seated  on  a 
chair  by  the  fire,  advanced  to  her,  and  taking  her  hand,  quietly  said,  "  Where's  my 
dear  Polly  ?  " 

The  poor  creature,  evidently  too  much  overcome  to  speak,  with  trembling  lips 
pointed  to  her  husband,  who  was  watching  her  with  a  pained  expression  of  coun- 
tenance. 

"  Wh — why — what  does  this  mean  ?  Where  is  my  wife.  Mother,  what  makes  you 
look  so  ?  Surely  she  is — " 

"  Tom,"  cried  the  old  man,  "  it  ain't  no  good  to  deceive  you  now.  Polly  is  dead.  She 
died  the  sixteenth  of  August  three  year  ago,  and — God  forgive  us  ! — we  have  let  you 
be  in  the  dark  all  this  time,  fearin'  it  would  be  too  much  for  you." 

Hearing  this,  Clare  staggered  to  a  chair,  and  after  passing  his  hand  across  his  brow, 
exclaimed,  "  My — Polly— dead  r  " 

"  Yes,  poor  soul ;  she  giv  birth  to  this  one  in  sorrow  and  anxiety,  and  never  rallied. 
Tom,  go  to  your  father." 

The  little  child  did  as  he  was  bidden,  though  he  seemed  almost  afraid  of  the  scared 


J.    THOMPSON,    A.    B.,   AMONG    "THE    HEATHEN   CHINEE."  229 

face ;  1>ut  when  he  felt  his  father's  fervent  kiss  all  his  fears  vanished,  and  the  boy 
hugged  him,  and  called  him  "  dear  daddy,"  until  Thompson,  who  was  a  sympathizing 
spectator  of  the  proceeding,  sobhed  audibly. 

The  old  woman  had  covered  her  face  with  her  apron,  and  was  weeping  bitterly, 
while,  in  spite,of  his  stoicism,  the  tears  were  rapidly  coursing  each  other  down  her 
husband's  wrinkled  cheeks. 

"  Here's — her — sun-j?ictur,"  continued  the  old  fisherman,  taking  a  little  case,  con- 
taining a  portrait  of  Polly,  from  the  mantel-piece.  "  That's  like  her,  poor  soul !  she 
looked — werry  thin — afore  she  died." 

Tom  took  the  portrait,  and  holding  it  towards  the  candle,  gazed  on  it  with  a  face 
expressive  of  reverence  and  love. 

"  So  that's — all  there  is  left — of  my — darling,  is  it  ?  "  he  falteringly  inquired. 

"  Yes,  poor  feller,  that's  all.     She's  gone  to  her  last  home." 

As  the  old  man  uttered  these  words  Clare  lifted  his  little  boy  off  his  knee,  and  hav- 
ing gently  kissed  him,  observed  to  Thompson,  in  a  quiet,  weary  manner,  "  that  hemuat 
be  going."  The  words  were  scarcely  uttered  before  the  speaker's  head  dropped  upon 
his  chest,  and  he  fell  heavily  forward. 

Thompson  sprang  towards  his  friend,  and,  with  the  assistance  of  the  old  man,  raised 
him  from  the  ground.  The  agony  of  the  woman  was  most  painful.  She  threw  her 
arms  around  the  inanimate  form,  and  uttered  most  heartrending  cries.  "  O  Tom,  dear., 
dear  feller !  I've  killed  you !  It's  me  that's  done  this.  Oh,  wicked  woman  that  I 
am." 

"  Come — Fanny — don't — take — on — so, — it's — no — fault-»-of — your'n,"  observed  her 
husband,  sobbing  between  each  word ;  but  the  poor  creature  did  not  hear  his  well-meant 
words  of  comfort,  she  having  swooned  from  grief. 

After  in  vain  trying  to  restore  Clare  to  consciousness,  Thompson  ran  for  a  doctor, 
and  when  he  returned  with  one,  they  found  the  room  filled  with  neighbours. 

"  Turn  these  people  out,"  directed  the  physician. 

In  a  short  time  the  gossips  retired,  taking  with  them  the  grief-stricken  old  woman, 
who,  in  spite  of  their  endeavours  to  comfort  her,  blamed  herself  as  the  cause  of  Clare's 
sudden  death. 

While  Thompson  was  clearing  the  apartment  the  doctor  proceeded  to  examine 
Clare,  who  had  been  placed  upon  a  sofa ;  and  when  the  kindly  sailor  had  seen  the  last 
person  out,  he  hurried  to  his  friend's  side. 

"  The  poor  man  is  dead,"  sadly  observed  the  doctor 

"  Ain't  there  no  chance  for  him,  sir  ?  " 

"  No,  none  whatever.     Is  this  the  husband  of  Mary  Clare  ?  " 

"  Yes,  your  honour." 

"  Where  is  the  child  ?  " 

Thompson  searched  about  the  room,  and  at  length  found  little  Tom  fast  asleep 
under  a  table,  with  his  innocent  face  pillowed  upon  his  dead  father's  jacket. 

The  gentle-mannered  physician  touched  the  child  lightly,  saying-,  '•  Poor  baby,  he 
knows  nothing  of  his  great  loss ;"  then,  having  advised  the  old  fisherman  to  look  after  his 
wife,  and  directed  Thompson  not  to  disturb  the  body  until  the  inquest  should  be  held, 
took  his  departure. 

After  a  time  the  broken-hearted  old  woman  returned,  and  taking  the  child  in  her 
arms,  retired  to  rest.  Thompson  remained  by  the  body  of  his  friend  all  night,  and  as  the 
clock  ticked  off  the  moments,  could  scarcely  credit  it  was  not  all  a  dream. 

"  Poor  old  chap ! "  he  murmured,  passing  his  hand  across  Clare's  brow.  "  Poor 
heart,  so  you  saw  her  spirit  arter  all.  Well,  I  can't  understand  it ;  it's  beyond  me,  but 


230  BLUE   JACKETS  J    OR,    THE   ADVENTURES   OF 

it  may  have  been  so.  If  you  can  hear  me,  old  shipmate  and  brave  heart,  hear  me 
say  I'll  never  let  your  little  chap  want  as  long  as  God  gives  me  health  and  strength ;  " 
and  having  uttered  these  -words,  the  kind-hearted  sailor  sat  down  beside  the  couch,  and 
placing  his  hands  to  his  face,  the  man  who  had  seen  death  gather  many  friends  before, 
wept  like  a  woman. 

There  lay  poor  Tom,  with  the  portrait  of  his  loved  wife  tightly  clutched  in  his  hand. 
True  to  her  in  life,  and  true  in  death ;  and  the  wording  of  the  telegram  he  had  penned 
that  morning,  which  now  lay  open  upon  a  table  near,  seemed  prophetic — "  /  will  be 
with  you,  my  dear,  lo-m'ffht."  We  may  hope  he  was  with  her,  in  a  world  of  which  we 
can  have  no  conception  until  our  eyes  are  opened  by  the  fingel  of  death. 

In  the  morning  little  Tom  crept  into  the  room,  and  with  awe  upon  his  face  asked  to 
"  see  his  dear  daddy." 

Jerry,  unable  to  refuse  the  child's  request,  uncovered  the  calm  face,  which  the  little 
one  gazed  upon  with  a  sorrowful  expression.  Taking  the  poor  orphan  in  his  arms 
Thompson  carried  him  from  the  room,  and  leaving  the  child  with  a  neighbour,  walked 
along  the  breezy  downs  to  get  rid  of  some  of  his  miserable  thoughts. 

"  What  is  life  ?  "  he  mused.  "  Here  to-day  and  then  gone,  and  nobody  knows  that 
BO  insignificant  a  creature  ever  troubled  the  earth.  What  have  we  to  live  for  ?  Ano- 
ther world  ?  Yes,  that  must  be  it.  We  ain't  created  for  nothing ;  the  God  who  made 
us  has  power  to  do  everything.  I'll  try  and  do  better  in  future,  and  be  more  kinder 
to  ethers,  and  less  selfish.  This  death  of  Tom  has  made  me  think.  We've  all  got  our 
duty  to  do  in  this  world,  like  we  have  got  to  do  it  in  a  man-of-war,  and  according  as 
we  does  it  so  we  gets  our  Reward." 

Thus  mused  the  sailor,  who  had  probably  seldom  before  given  his  future  a  thought. 
Death  made  him  think,  as  it  does  most  of  us,  and  the  kind-hearted  fellow,  in  his  desire 
to  do  better  for  the  future,  imagined  he  was  one  of  the  most  miserable  sinners  in  exist- 
ence, it  is  thus  with  all  men  ;  when  the  "  dark  shadow  "  envelopes  their  acquaintances, 
they  cry  "  mea  culpa,"  and  vow  to  be  very  good ;  but  it  requires  something  more  than 
human  philosophy  to  keep  them  in  remembrance  of  their  vows. 

The  inquest  was  held  that  day,  and,  in  accordance  with  the  custom  in  that  part 
of  the  country,  the  jurors  returned  a  verdict,  that  Clare  "  Died  from  the  visitation  of 
God." 

After  seeing  to  the  arrangements  for  the  funeral,  and  promising  to  return  in  time 
to  attend  it,  Thompson  proceeded  to  Woolwich ;  and  his  stores  being  found  correct, 
received  his  pay,  and  left  H.  M.  service. 

Finding  Captain  Woodward  was  still  in  the  town,  Jerry  called  upon  him,  and  informed 
him  of  Clare's  death,  which  news  much  affected  the  good  officer. 

"  Has  he  left  any  family,  Thompson  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  one  little  boy.'7 

"  I'll  get  him  into  Greenwich  School  when  he's  old  enough.  Tell  his  relatives  to 
remember  that,  Mr.  Thompson." 

"  God  bless  you,  sir,  for  your  good  heart.  Excuse  me,  but  little  Tom  won't  never 
•want.  I'm  going  to  be  his  father  now,  and,  while  much  obliged  to  you  for  all  your 
kindness,  I  think  I  can  manage  to  keep  him  until  he  can  earn  his  own  living.  But  I 
won't  forget  your  kind  offer,  sir." 

As  Thompson  was  taking  his  leave,  Mrs.  Woodward  entered  the  room,  and  Jerry 
had  the  inexpressible  satisfaction  of  being  presented  to  her.  She  heard  his  touching1 
story  of  Clare's  death,  and  dropped  a  tear  of  pity  to  the  memory  of  the  unfortunate 
lovers.  Jerry  left  the  house  bearing  several  tokens  of  her  sympathy  for  the  orphan  boy, 
and,  what  pleased  him  beyond  anything  else,  the  gift  of  the  captain's  portrait,  which 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      231 

he  proudly  exhibits  to  this  day,  as  the  picture  of  a  noble  man,  that  was  given  him  bv 
an  angel. 

Clare  was  buried  in  the  village  churchyard,  by  the  side  of  his  faithful  wife ;  and 
•when  the  last  spadeful  of  earth  was  heaped  over  the  grave,  Thompson  proceeded  to  a 
stonemason's,  of  whom  he  purchased  a  suitable  monument,  which  he  ordered  to  be 
erected  over  the  pair,  and  to  bear  this  inscription : — 

SACKED  TO  THE   MEMORY 
OF 

MARY  AND  THOMAS  CLARE. 
True  hearts.     Parted  in  life,  but  now  united  in  death. 

18—. 

This  accomplished,  Thompson  returned  to  the  fisherman's  cottage,  and  told  them 
his  intentions  towards  the  boy.  At  first  the  old  couple  would  not  listen  to  his  pro- 
posal to  adopt  little  Tom ;  but  when  he  pointed  out  to  them  that  it  would  be  better  for 
him  to  take  the  child  at  once,  they  yielded,  and  finally  gave  their  consent;  upon  which 
the  good-hearted  fellow  wrote  to  his  mother,  telling  her  that  he  should  bring  the  boy 
home  with  him. 

It  was  arranged  that  all  poor  Tom's  pay  and  prize  money  should  be  placed  in  the 
Deal  Bank  until  such  time  as  the  boy  came  of  age,  or  it  was  wanted  to  start  him  in 
the  world ;  and  that,  added  to  the  money  already  there  in  his  late  mother's  name, 
would  form  a  very  handsome  sum  by  the  time  it  would  be  required. 

Before  parting  with  the  old  folks,  Jerry — without  implying  any  reproach — asked 
them  plainly  why  they  did  not  write  Tom  about  his  wife's  death  ?  when  they  informed 
him  that,  fearing  the  blow  would  kill  him,  and  that  he  would  never  see  his  child,  they 
had  enlisted  the  sympathy  of  a  young  girl  who  lived  near,  and  all  poor  Tom's  letters 
had  been  answered  by  her — always  endeavoring  to  avoid  positively  false  statements. 

Thompson  could  not  openly  blame  them,  as  they  had  evidently  committed  the  error 
with  a  good  intention  ;  and  after  saying  he  was  sorry  they  hadn't  written  him  about  it, 
bade  them  good-bye,  and  taking  little  Tom  by  the  hand,  led  him  away. 

The  child's  parting  with  his  relatives  was  of  course  a  trial  on  both  sides ;  but  when 
he  and  Jerry  were  clear  of  the  cottage,  and  seated  in  a  conveyance  on  their  way  to 
Deal,  the  little  fellow  soon,  dried  his  tears,  and  by  the  time  they  arrived  at  their 
journey's  end,  had  taken  to  his  new  protector  most  contentedly. 

Having  seen  a  lawyer,  and  settled  the  necessary  business  in  connection  with  the 
property  belonging  to  poor  Clare,  Thompson  proceeded  to  an  inn,  and  early  the  next 
morning  hired  a  conveyance,  by  which  he  reached  his  native  place  about  noon.  Everybody 
seemed  to  expect  him,  and  his  progress  from  the  entrance  of  the  village  to  his  mother's 
cottage  was  one  continued  ovation. 

"  Here's  Jerry  Thompson  come  back,"  giggled  a  girl,  who,  standing  at  the  top  of 
the  garden  steps,  was  shouting  to  her  mother  in  the  potato  patch. 

"  Hallo,  Jerry,"  roared  a  farm  labourer,  who  had  known  the  sailor  at  school,  but 
who,  save  by  the  uniform,  could  not  have  recognized  his  old  playfellow. 

"  Glad  to  see  ye,  master,"  cried  the  old  men. 

"  Service  to  ye,  Jerry,"  squeaked  the  old  women,  who  were  somewhat  dazzled  with 
the  uniform,  and  didn't  know  whether  to  be  polite  or  familiar. 

"Hurrah!  Hurrah!"  screamed  the  children;  and  the  ducks  and  get-so  napped 
their  wings,  and  scuttled  about  as  if  joining  in  the  acclamation  ;  and  when  Thompson. 


232  BLUE  JACKETS  ;  OK,  THE  ADVENTUKES  OF 

arrived  opposite  Trotman's  Charity,  a  saucy  bantam,  which  had  perched  itself  on.  the 
gate,  tried  to  crow  out  a  welcome.  Ere  it  had  fairly  commenced  it  was  swung  off  its 
legs  by  an  apple-faced  little  girl,  who,  regardless  of  chanticleer,  opened  the  gate  with  a 
vigorous  swing,  stood  against  it  to  keep  it  in  its  place,  and  with  smiling,  upturned  face 
bobbed  acourtsy  to  "  Squire  Jerry,"  she  imagining  that  Mr.  Thompson  could  not  be  less, 
as  he  came  in  a  carriage,  and  everybody  hurrahed. 

When  the  vehicle  stopped,  Jerry  leaped  out  over  the  door,  being  too  impatient  to 
allow 'the  man  time  to  open  it,  and,  rushing  up  to  his  old  mother,  hugged  and  kissed 
Her  as  only  sailors  do  ;  and  after  thus  demonstrating  his  affection  for  her,  turned  to  a 
charming-looking  girl,  standing  respectfully  behind  her,  who  had  blushed  a  recognition 
to  him  as  he  alighted,  and  taking  her  round  the  waist,  saluted  her  right  lovingly,  and 
inquired  if  she  were  his  Cousin  Nelly. 

The  girl  coloured,  and  half -timidly  endeavoured  to  withdraw  from  his  grasp ;  but 
finding  the  old  lady  smiled  upon  her,  she  turned  smartly  round  and  replied,  "  Yes,  I'm 
Nelly,  and  I  suppose  you  cull  this  a  cousin's  privilege  ?  " 

Seeing  the  merry  twinkle  in  her  eye,  Jerry  repeated  his  attention,  and  then  step- 
ping forward,  thus  addressed  his  friends  and  relatives,  who  had  gathered  round  the 
door  to  welcome  him  : — 

"  My  dear  ship — friends  and  kinsfolks,  I'm  mighty  glad  to  see  you.  I've  passed 
through  many  dangers  since  I  left  here  a  boy.  But  Jerry  has  always  fallen  upon  his 
feet  (cheers').  I  ain't  got  time  to  say  much  to  you,  only  to  tell  you  once  more  how  glad 
I  am  to  see  you  (voices — '  So  are  we  to  see  you,  mate ').  I've  shipped — I  mean  I've  got 
a  billet  as  steward  to  as  good  a  gentleman  as  ever  owned  a  estate,  and  he's  got  the 
loveliest  little  girl  you  ever  saw  (more  cheers).  I  am  going  to  take  my  old  mother  out 
of  this  and  make  a  lady  of  her,  although  she's  always  bin  a  good  woman,  and  can't  be 
improved  upon  anyhow  (deafening  cheers,  and  cries  of  'Bless  him ! '  from  the  women). 
I  thanks  all  of  you  as  ever  has  done  her  a  good  turn  in  my  absence,  and  promise  you, 
when  I  knows  who  you  are,  I'll  do  you  a  half-a-dozen  in.  return  "  (loud  uproar). 

Having  thus  delivered  himself,  Jerry,  forgetting  he  was  no  longer  on  board  a  man- 
of-war,  seized  his  call  and  piped  down  ;  upon  which  his  friends,  thinking  very  correctly 
it  was  a  sailor's  way  of  dispersing  a  crowd,  quietly  drifted  off  to  their  homes,  and  before 
night  had  invented  no  end  of  stories  of  the  sailor's  adventures,  of  course  all  being  told 
them  by  Jerry. 

While  Thompson  was  delivering  his  speech,  little  Tom  had  crept  close  to  Ellen, 
who,  taking  him  in  her  arms,  entered  the  house,  and  seating  herself  upon  a  sofa, 
removed  his  hat,  and  stroking  his  brown  hair  whispered  to  him  tenderly,  "  Will  you  be 
my  boy?" 

"  Oh,  shouldn't  I  like  to  ?  "  he  replied,  his  dark  eyes  sparkling  with  animation  ;  then 
looking  up  into  the  loving  face  bent  over  him,  the  child,  who  had  never  known  a 
mother's  care,  placed  his  plump  hands  upon  her  cheeks,  and  fervently  kissed  the  offered 
lips. 

"  You  dear  little  fellow.  Then  you  shall  be  my  boy,  and  I'll  be  a  mother  to  you," 
said  the  warm-hearted  girl,  her  eyes  suffusing  with  tears ;  and  from  that  moment  she 
took  little  Tom  to  her  heart,  from  which  he  was  never  displaced. 

When  they  got  over  their  excitement  a  little,  Jerry  was  taken  into  the  next  house 
to  see  his  aunt,  Mary  Golder,  that  indignant  old  lady  having  refused  to  stir  over  her 
threshold  until  he  first  visited  her ;  and  although  she  could  plainly  hear  all  that  was 
said  in  her  sister's  rooms,  and  was  burning  with  curiosity  to  see  her  long-lost  nephew, 
still  her  pride  was  so  great  that  she  wouldn't  demean  herself  to  beg  favours,  and  vowed 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "  THE  HEATHEN  CHINEE."      233 

she  would  wait  by  her  fireside  until  he  came  to  see  her,  and  not  "  go  a-running  arter 
him,  like  a  foolish  young  colt  as  didn't  know  no  manners." 

However,  when  the  sailor  burst  into  the  apartment,  and  had  given  her  a  dozen 
nautical  hugs,  she  relented,  and  in  spite  of  "  rheumatiz  "  and  sundry  "  spaziins,"  man- 
aged to  get  out  of  Tier  chair  and  visit  her  sister,  where,  considering  she  was  an  invalid, 
she  greatly  distinguished  herself  by  eating  more  than  any  two  persons  at  the  tea- 
table. 

So  astonished  was  little  Tom  at  the  capacity  of  the  dear  "  old  girl "  for  tea,  that  he 
actually  laid  down  his  bread  and  butter,  and  gasped. 

A  few  days  after  the  sailor's  return  the  Major  arrived  at  Lee  Park,  and  Thomp- 
son was  sent  for,  and  instructed  to  take  possession  of  the  Holt  Lane  farm  house,  to 
which  he  at  once  removed  his  relations,  including  his  aunt  Mary  Golder ;  Miss  Cops 
being  expressly  sent  in  a  carriage  to  convey  the  old  people  to  their  new  home.  The 
young  lady  was  unaccompanied,  Adele  having  returned  to  France. 

Great  was  the  excitement  in  the  almshouses  when  Miss  Barbara  walked  up  the  path- 
way, and,  with  the  utmost  self-possession,  asked  the  silver-haired  handsome  old  woman, 
"  Is  you  Missis  Jerry  ?  " 

"  Yes,  my  pretty  darling,  I'm  Jerry's  mother,"  tremblingly  replied  the  delighted 
Mrs.  Thompson. 

"  Then  you  are  to  come  with  me  to  your  barley-sugar-candy-house,  returned  Cops, 
•who,  catching  sight  of  little  Tom  at  that  moment,  exclaimed,  "  Dear  boy ! "  and,  with- 
out more  ceremony,  seized  the  astonished  child  and  led  him  off  to  the  carriage. 

In  a  short  time  the  party  were  all  seated,  with  Jerry  on  the  box  beside  the  driver, 
and  having  waved  a  farewell  to  Trotman's  Charity,  they  started  for  Holt  Lane,  amidst 
the  sneers  of  the  alms-house  folks,  and  the  cheers  of  all  the  other  villagers. 

"When  they  arrived  at  the  farm,  Miss  Cops  loudly  expressed  her  delight  at  the  place, 
evidently  oblivious  of  its  not  being  a  barley-sugar-candy  building ;  and  taking  little 
Tom's  hand,  proceeded  upon  a  tour  of  inspection,  looking  in  her  loveliness  like  a  good 
fairy  who  had  just  bestowed  the  place  upon  some  faithful  friend. 

After  having  gone  through  the  house,  she  left  the  adults,  and  proceeded  to  show  her 
protege  the  surroundings ;  and  when  hunted  out  by  her  friend  Jerry,  was  found  busily 
engaged  in  instructing  young  Tom  in  the  art  of  "  making  little  pigs  sing,"  her  principle 
being  to  watch  until  they  got  close  to  the  interstices  of  the  sty,  and  then  to  seize  their 
tails  between  her  finger  and  thumb,  whrch  operation  generally  produced  the  much-ad- 
mired musical  sounds.  It  may  be  imagined  that  Miss  Barbara  required  a  course  of 
soap  and  water  before  being  sent  home. 

Major  Barren,  or  "  The  Squire,"  as  he  was  usually  termed,  found  Thompson  a  very 
apt  scholar,  and  in  a  few  months,  under  his  tuition  during  the  day,  and  Ellen's  in  the 
evening,  Jerry  became  quite  expert  at  accounts. 

It  was  very  evident  to  all  the  good  folks  in  the  place  that  the  steward  was  despe- 
rately in  love  with  his  cousin,  yet  when  spoken  to  upon  this  subject  he  would  shake  his 
head  and  gravely  deny  it. 

One  night,  after  his  aunt  Golder  and  Ellen  had  retired,  Jerry  was  seated  in  the 
chimney  corner  smoking  his  pipe,  and  watching  the  motion  of  his  mother's  knitting 
needles,  when  the  old  lady  fixed  her  keen  eyes  upon  his  face,  and  demanded  to  know 
what  ailed  him. 

"  Ails  me,  mother  ! "  he  replied,  with  a  forced  laugh,  "  why,  nothing  as  I  know  of ; 
I'm  hearty  enough."  Having  said  this,  he  heaved  a  deep  sigh. 

"  Jerry,  look  at  me.  You're  in  love,  I  know  you  are.  That  puss  Ellen  has  turned 
your  head." 

"  Nonsense,  mother." 


234  BLUE   JACKETS  J    OB,    THE    ADVENTURES    OF 

"  No,  it  ain't  nonsense,  that  is,  your  loving  a  good  girl  like  her  ;  that  ain't  no  non- 
sense, my  boy.  Now,  all  your  brothers  and  sisters  are  away  in  Ameriky  and  Australy, 
and  I  shall  probably  never  see  none  of  my  children's  children  if  you  don't  get  married 
»oon.  It  -would  do  my  old  eyes  good  to  see  your  little  ones." 

"  All  right,  mother,"  ejaculated  Jerry  with  a  depreciative  wave  of  his  long  clay  pipe 
•"  All  right.  Ease  your  steam,  my  dear.  I  ain't  married  yet,  and  ain't  likely  to  be." 

"  Not  all  the  while  you  keeps  ;i  shillyshallying  about  as  you  does.  You  ain't,  that's 
true,"  somewhat  warmly  retorted  the  old  lady. 

Upon  hearing  this  Thompson  got  up,  and  walking  to  his  mother's  chair  leant  ovei 
the  back,  and  in  a  somewhat  troubled  manner  made  the  following  confession  : 

"  My  dear  old  mother,  pardon  me  if  I  was  hasty.  My  heart  is  full,  and  I  want  you 
to  tell  me  what  to  do." 

"Go  on,  dearie,"  replied  the  now  mollified  old  lady,  firing  away  at  her  knitting  in 
order  to  give  vent  to  her  feelings. 

"  Well,  mother,  I  love  Cousin  Nelly  as  I  never  loved  a  gal  afore,  only  once,  and 
*he,  poor  thing,  a  Chinee." 

"  You  was  allus  soft-hearted  as  a  boy,"  put  in  the  not  at  all  astonished  dame. 

"•Well,  she  is  dead,  and  I  hope  in  a  better  world  along  with  poor  Polly  and  Tom — 
little  Tom's  mother,  you  know." 

"  Oh,  I  know,"  said  the  dame,  working  more  furiously  than  ever  at  her  knitting. 

"  When  I  came  home  I  little  thought,  arter  all  the  girls  I've  been  soft  over,  that  I 
«hould  ever  become  so  desperately  fond  of  Cousin  Nelly.  But  it's  a  case,  and  but  for 
you,  I'd  go  to  sea  again,  as  I  can't  marry  her." 

"  Can't  marry  her  ?  why  not,  in  the  name  of  goodness  ?  " 

Jerry  informed  his  mother  that  he  believed  it  was  "  agin  the  law  for  him  to  marry 
his  cousin." 

"Bless  us,  is  that  all  ?  "  coolly  observed  his  mother. 

"That  all!  Well,  I  should  think  that's  enough.  I  suppose  you  don't  want  me  to 
break  the  law,  do  you,  and  be  had  up  for  bigamy  ?  " 

"  Bless  your  heart!  "  gasped  the  old  lady.     "  Why,  don't  you  know  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  knows,  mother.  I've  always  heard  that  it  ain't  lawful  for  to  marry  your 
cousin.  If  I  was  in  China  I'm  blest  if  I  wouldn't.  That's  the  best  of  China,  there 
ain't  no  laws  like  that  there." 

Hearing  this  outburst,  the  old  dame  gave  a.hearty  ringing  laugh,  which  sounded 
most  unkindly  to  her  troubled  son. 

"  Nay,  mother,  don't  laugh.     This  is  a  big  trouble  for  me." 

"Why,  you  stupid  boy  ?     It's  quite  lawful,  besides  Ellen  isn't  your  cousin  at  all." 

"  Not  my  cousin  ?  "  screamed  the  almost  frantic  sailor ;  "  not  my  cousin  ?  Hurrah  1" 
Then,  darting  out  of  the  kitchen,  he  rushed  up-stairs,  loudly  knocked  at  his  aunt's 
bed-room  door,  and  begged  her  to  ask  Nelly  to  come  down,  as  his  mother  wanted  to  see 
her  very  badly. 

In  a  few  moments  the  girl,  who  had  not  retired  to  rest,  but  having  noticed  he  was 
unhappy  in  her  presence,  had  wisely  left  him  to  himself  as  much  as  possible,  entered  the 
room,  upon  which  Jerry  respectfully  kissed  her,  and  when  she  was  seated,  giving  the 
log  upon  the  hearth  a  kick,  which  made  it  blaze  right  merrily,  begged  his  mother  would 
go  ahead  with  her  yarn,  when  she  spoke  as  follows : — 

"  Many  years  ago  when  I  were  a  gal,  in  service  up  at  the  Hall,  I  had  a  friend  named 
Mary  Reynolds.  She  was  a  dear  good  girl,  and  were  only  out  at  service  so  as  not  to  be 
a  burden  to  her  parents.  Well,  to  make  a  long  story  short,  she  married  a  gentleman, 
and  lived  in  good  style  for  some  years,  until  one  day  he  lost  all  his  property.  They 


J.  THOMPSON,  A.  B.,  AMONG  "THE  HEATHEN  CHLNEE."     235 

•were  then  living  in  Canterbury,  and  I  went  to  see  her,  poor  thing,  and  I  promised  her 
if  anything  occurred  to  her,  I'd  take  care  of  her  little  girl,  Ellen  here.  You  had  then 
gone  your  first  voyage  in  the  "  Royal  Shepherdess,"  and  when  you  came  back  Nelly 
was  nine  years  old.  Now  she's  twenty,"  said  the  old  lady,  fondly  caressing  the  girl. 
"  So  you  see  there's  no  blood  relationship  betwixt  you,  although  that  wouldn't  be  an 
obstacle.  But  I'm  tired.  I'm  going  to  bed.  Good-night.  God  bless  you  both,  my 
children." 

"  I'll  say  good-night,  too,  cou — Jerry,''  timidly  added  the  girl. 

Hearing  this,  her  lover  advanced,  and  leading  her  to  a  chair,  begged  she  would  stay, 
as  he  wished  very  particularly  to  speak  to  her. 

When  the  last  creak  of  the  stairs  announced  that  the  old  lady  had  reached  her 
room,  Thompson  took  a  seat  close  to  the  agitated  girl,  and  having  gently  placed  his  left 
arm  round  her  waist,  told  her  he  loved  her,  and  frankly  asked  her  to  be  his  wife. 

For  some  moments  Nelly  hung  her  head,  too  much  overcome  with  the  revelation  of 
the  mother  and  the  happiness  of  her  position ;  but,  being  somewhat  encouraged  by  the 
tender  kiss  which  her  lover  imprinted  upon  her  cheek,  she  at  length  turned  her  face 
towards  him,  and  softly  replied,  "  Yes." 

He  made  no  demonstration  when  he  kissed  her  then,  being  too  much  in  love  to  shout- 
and  dance  as  he  hud  formerly  done.  They  chatted  over  their  prospects  quietly,  and 
before  they  separated  it  was  determined  that  upon  the  eighteenth  of  February  they 
would  become  man  and  wife. 

The  banns  were  duly  put  up,  and  upon  the  day  appointed  the  gentle  Nelly  vowed 
to  love  and  honour  the  now  happy  Thompson  ;  while  he,  on  his  part,  promised  to 
cherish  and  protect  her  as  long  as  Heaven  permitted. 

There  was  no  idea  of  "  co-partnership "  between  these  lovers — they  considered 
themselves  bound  in  the  bonds  of  holy  matrimony,  and  believed  the  union  so  con- 
tracted was  approved  of  by  their  Creator. 

They  were  married  in  the  parish  church,  the  Squire  giving  away  the  bride,  who, 
with  her  lovely  complexion,  looked  like  a  peach-blossom.  Four  bridesmaids  assisted 
at  the  ceremony,  the  principal  one  being  the  charming  Cops ;  and  as  little  Tom  watched 
the  party  from  the  gallery,  he  wondered  if  the  angels  were  more  beautiful  than  that 
young  lady  and  his  adopted  mother. 

The  villagers  turned  out  in  their  best  attire  to  witness  the  interesting  ceremony, 
and  the  wedding  breakfast  was  given  in  the  big  barn,  and  every  one  invited  to  be 
present. 

A  doubly  proud  woman  was  Mrs.  Thompson  that  day;  and  when  the  Squire 
made  a  speech,  and  drank  the  health  of  the  happy  pair,  the  dear  old  lady  cried  for 

joy- 
Many  speeches  followed,  in  one  of  which,  a  jolly  old  farmer,  who  was  the  only  rela- 
tion of  the  bride  present,  observed,  that  having  such  a  flower  as  Nelly  committed  to  his 
care,  he  hoped  the  late  sailor  would  never  prove  a  traitor  to  his  trust;  hearing  which 
Jerry  arose,  and,  in  a  brief  speech,  thanked  his  newly-found  uncle  for  \\\&  good  wishes* 
then  ainil  loud  acclamation  re-seated  himself  by  the  side  of  his  happy  wife. 

When  the  dinner  was  over  the  barn  was  cleared  for  dancing.  The  merry  folks 
kept  up  the  festivities  until  the  morning  dawned,  and  to  this  day  the  villagers  speak  of 
the  si.lendid  feast  they  had  when  Muster  Thompson  was  married. 

The  sailor  never  forgot  his  friends  in  Hong-Kong,  and,  according  to  promise,  wrote 
to  Mr*.  Mackay,  saying,  "  I  have  married  the  best  girl  in  the  world,  and  if  there  is  any 
victim  in  the  case,  ic  is  not  your  happy  friend,  Jerry  Thompson." 
Nelly  added  a  postscript. 


236 


BLUE    JACKETS  I     OK,    THE    ADVENTURES    OP 


Some  years  have  elapsed  since  the  foregoing,  and  Mr.  Thompson  is  now  the  esteemed 
agent  of  the  Squire,  and  farms  a  large  estate  upon  his  own  account.  He  still  retains  his 
admiration  for  Miss  Barbara,  who  has  grown  up  into  a  beautiful  woman ;  her  word  to 
him  is  law,  and  he  makes  it  so  to  all  under  him. 

Little  Tom  is  at  college,  and  promises  to  become  a  great  scholar;  he  has  ever  cher- 
ished the  most  ardent  affection  for  his  adopted  parents,  who  in  return  treat  him  as  if  he 
were  their  eldest  son. 

Several  children  have  blessed  the  union  of  the  pair,  and  if  in  a  journey  through 
Kent  you  pass  Oakfield  Farm,  where  Mr.  Thompson  now  resides,  you  will  probably 
see  a  blue-eyed  Nelly  and  some  black-eyed  boys  playing  upon  the  lawn. 

Jerry  sometimes  talks  about  his  adventures  when  he  was  a  blue  jacket,  but  never 
reverts  to  the  sad  fate  of  the  poor  Chinese  girl.  He  is  happy  in  the  society  of  his  wife 
and  friends;  and  though  she  is  not  forgotten,  he  has  no  desire  to  dwell  upon  the 
memory  of  "  A-tae." 


THJS  END. 


i. 


